The link between broiler flock heterogeneity and cecal microbiome composition

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Microbiology
• Genomics

Background:

• Broiler flocks exhibit significant body weight (BW) heterogeneity despite genetic uniformity and management practices.
• This BW variation negatively impacts commercial value and flock performance.
• Investigating the cecal microbiome's role is crucial for understanding and improving flock uniformity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the association between cecal microbiome composition and BW differences in broiler chickens.
• To identify specific microbial taxa linked to growth variations within a flock.
• To explore potential microbiome-based strategies for enhancing broiler performance and uniformity.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of cecal contents from the heaviest (Big) and lightest (Small) broiler chickens.
• Hybrid metagenomic sequencing (long and short read) for comprehensive microbiome profiling.
• Analysis of microbial alpha diversity, beta diversity, and specific bacterial taxa abundances.

Main Results:

• Big birds exhibited higher microbial alpha diversity and microbiome uniformity compared to Small birds.
• Beneficial SCFA-producing taxa (e.g., Lachnospiraceae, Faecalibacterium) were more abundant in Big birds.
• Abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila and Escherichia coli was lower in Big birds relative to Small birds.

Conclusions:

• Cecal microbiome characteristics are significantly linked to BW variations in broiler chickens.
• Differences in microbial diversity and specific taxa abundances correlate with observed growth disparities.
• Targeting the cecal microbiome may offer a pathway to improve broiler flock uniformity and productivity.