biostudies-literatureUnknown25(1)Burrows PBMoy ParkMetataxonomic studies have underpinned a vast understanding of microbial communities residing within livestock gastrointestinal tracts, albeit studies have often not been combined to provide a global census. Consequently, in this study we characterised the overall and common 'core' chicken microbiota associated with the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), whilst assessing the effects of GIT site, bird breed, age and geographical location on the GIT resident microbes using metataxonomic data compiled from studies completed across the world. Specifically, bacterial 16S ribosomal DNA sequences from GIT samples associated with various breeds, differing in age, GIT sites (caecum, faeces, ileum and jejunum) and geographical location were obtained from the Sequence Read Archive and analysed using the MBMC microbiology35https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11744950biostudies-literatureDecoding the chicken gastrointestinal microbiome.PMC11744950Richmond ACorcionivoschi NBurrows PBHuws SAGodoy-Santos FLawther KfalseDecoding the chicken gastrointestinal microbiome.Metataxonomic studies have underpinned a vast understanding of microbial communities residing within livestock gastrointestinal tracts, albeit studies have often not been combined to provide a global census. Consequently, in this study we characterised the overall and common 'core' chicken microbiota associated with the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), whilst assessing the effects of GIT site, bird breed, age and geographical location on the GIT resident microbes using metataxonomic data compiled from studies completed across the world. Specifically, bacterial 16S ribosomal DNA sequences from GIT samples associated with various breeds, differing in age, GIT sites (caecum, faeces, ileum and jejunum) and geographical location were obtained from the Sequence Read Archive and analysed using the M2025-01-01T00:00:00Z2025 Jan2025-04-05T09:31:03.829Z2025-04-05T09:31:03.829ZS-EPMC117449503983370110.1186/s12866-024-03690-x