Alterations in rumen microbiota via oral fiber administration during early life in dairy cows

Abstract

Bacterial colonization in the rumen of pre-weaned ruminants is important for their growth and post-weaning productivity. This study evaluated the effects of oral fiber administration during the pre-weaning period on the development of rumen microbiota from pre-weaning to the first lactation period. Twenty female calves were assigned to control and treatment groups (n = 10 each). Animals in both groups were reared using a standard feeding program throughout the experiment, except for oral fiber administration (50–100 g/day/animal) from 3 days of age until weaning for the treatment group. Rumen content was collected during the pre-weaning period, growing period, and after parturition. Amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that oral fiber administration facilitated the early establishment of mature rumen microbiota, including a relatively higher abundance of Prevotella, Shuttleworthia, Mitsuokella, and Selenomonas. The difference in the rumen microbial composition between the dietary groups was observed even 21 days after parturition, with a significantly higher average milk yield in the first 30 days of lactation. Therefore, oral fiber administration to calves during the pre-weaning period altered rumen microbiota, and its effect might be long-lasting until the first parturition.

Age-dependent variations in rumen bacterial community of Mongolian cattle from weaning to adulthood

“…Weaning calves from liquid to solid has shown rapid changes in their rumen microbiota [12,13]. However, fewer studies have reported the effect of age on the rumen microbial community of the host animal in the ruminant after weaning [14][15][16].…”

Time series cluster analysis reveals individual assignment of microbiota in captive tiger (Panthera tigris) and wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)

“…Nevertheless, the pattern remained the same. General rumen‐specific bacteria such as Acidaminococcaceae or the phylum Spirochaetes (Savin et al, 2022 ; Snelling et al, 2019 ) and bacterial families contributing to milk production in cattle such as Muribaculaceae and p‐251‐o5 (Boggio et al, 2021 ; Kodithuwakku et al, 2022 ) were considered to distinguish individual wildebeests. In contrast, bacterial families that only occurred in single individuals or that varied greatly among individuals were found by the LASSO algorithm to cluster individual microbiota (e.g.…”

“…Nevertheless, the pattern remained the same. General rumen-specific bacteria such as Acidaminococcaceae or the phylum Spirochaetes (Savin et al, 2022;Snelling et al, 2019) and bacterial families contributing to milk production in cattle such as Muribaculaceae and p-251-o5 (Boggio et al, 2021;Kodithuwakku et al, 2022)…”

Growth Performance and Fecal Microbiota of Dairy Calves Supplemented with Autochthonous Lactic Acid Bacteria as Probiotics in Mexican Western Family Dairy Farming

“…Additionally, the presence of Muribaculaceae family members has been related to a lower incidence of diarrhea in neonatal calves [ 53 ]; besides, they can degrade complex polysaccharides and potentially produce short-chain fatty acids such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate [ 54 ]. According to Kodithuwakku et al [ 55 ], Muribaculaceae in the rumen contribute to efficient feed conversion into energy sources for milk production in dairy cows. Furthermore, the increase in the Succinivibrionaceae members’ family has been reported as promoters for establishing the early rumen microbiota of young calves [ 56 ].…”