Microbiome mapping: Gut microbiome development of broilers from 0 to 42 days of age

     

To produce resilient and healthy poultry, it is necessary to understand the effects of diet and dietary feed additives on the microbiome and its development. This trial was conducted to evaluate the microbiota of broilers 14, 28, and 42 d of age, while feeding them a combination of yeast postbiotics and fermentation extracts (Provillus 4Poultry). A total of 300 Ross 308 male chicks were allotted to 2 treatments: control or control + Provillus (1 lb/ ton). Chicks were reared on used litter and fed diets formulated to meet nutrient specifications for Ross 308 broilers. Starter, grower, and finisher diets were fed from 0 to 14, 14 to 28, and 28 to 42 d of age, respectively. On d 14, 28, and 42, broilers and feed were weighed to calculate ADG, ADFI, and FCR. Also on d 14, 28, and 42, cloacal swabs were collected from 6 broilers per treatment and 16S DNA sequencing was performed by a commercial laboratory. These data were analyzed by an artificial intelligence platform (Sapiens) to identify and quantify the total number of genera present, positive and negative biomarkers, and microbiota robustness. There was no effect (P > 0.05) of dietary treatment on ADG, ADFI, or FCR. Broilers fed Provillus maintained their microbiota richness until 42 d of age, while control-fed broilers had decreased microbiota richness. Feeding Provillus resulted in a more robust microbiota with positive biomarkers present at 14 d of age. At 28 d of age, negative biomarkers that indicate dysbiosis due were present in both treatment groups. With the maturation of the microbiota at 42 d of age, reappearance of positive biomarkers occurred in both groups. The eubiosis state was more susceptible to environmental disturbances during early development than it was after maturation. Growth performance rate may have been disturbed due to the appearance of clusters of negative bacteria. The microbiota in earlier phases is considered more susceptible to disturbances, which is why it is important to choose an additive that maintains the robustness, diversity, and richness of the microbiota in poultry produced without the use of growth promoters.

Key Words: Microbiome, biomarkers, broilers, growth performance.