Fecal Microbiota Transplant from Highly Feed-Efficient Donors Shows Little Effect on Age-Related Changes in Feed-Efficiency-Associated Fecal Microbiota from Chickens

Abstract

Chickens with good or poor feed efficiency (FE) have been shown to differ in their intestinal microbiota composition. This study investigated differences in the fecal bacterial community of highly and poorly feed-efficient chickens at 16 and 29 days posthatch (dph) and evaluated whether a fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) from feed-efficient donors early in life can affect the fecal microbiota in chickens at 16 and 29 dph and chicken FE and nutrient retention at 4 weeks of age. A total of 110 chickens were inoculated with a FMT or a control transplant (CT) on dph 1, 6, and 9 and ranked according to residual feed intake (RFI; the metric for FE) on 30 dph. Fifty-six chickens across both inoculation groups were selected as the extremes in RFI (29 low, 27 high). RFI-related fecal bacterial profiles were discernible at 16 and 29 dph. In particular, ,, and operational taxonomic units were associated with low RFI (good FE). Multiple administrations of the FMT only slightly changed the fecal bacterial composition, which was supported by weighted UniFrac analysis, showing similar bacterial communities in the feces of both inoculation groups at 16 and 29 dph. Moreover, the FMT did not change the RFI and nutrient retention of highly and poorly feed-efficient recipients, whereas it tended to increase feed intake and body weight gain in female chickens. This finding suggests that host- and environment-related factors may more strongly affect chicken fecal microbiota and FE than the FMT. Modulating the chicken's early microbial colonization using a FMT from highly feed-efficient donor chickens may be a promising tool to establish a more desirable bacterial profile in recipient chickens, thereby improving host FE. Although FE-associated fecal bacterial profiles at 16 and 29 dph could be established, the microbiota composition of a FMT, when administered early in life, may not be a strong factor modulating the fecal microbiota at 2 to 4 weeks of life and reducing the variation in chicken's FE. Nevertheless, the present FMT may have potential benefits for growth performance in female chickens.

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in Experimental Ulcerative Colitis Reveals Associated Gut Microbial and Host Metabolic Reprogramming

“…2A, D, and G), which were 1.9-, 2.3-, and 4.4-fold greater than their FMT-related counterparts, respectively, suggesting that the FMT intervention effect was weaker than the UC pathological effect in microbial and metabolic reprogramming. Similarly, a recent study found that FMT from highly feedefficient donors shows little effects on age-related changes in feed efficiency-associated fecal microbiota in chickens (33). Taken together, these results suggest that host-and environment-related factors may more strongly affect host fecal microbiota and metabolism than the FMT.…”

Composition and Function of Chicken Gut Microbiota

“…Development of chicken gut microbiota in commercially hatched chickens has been well described [4,16,[56][57][58]. The first coloniser is represented by E. coli which dominates in the caecum during the first week of life.…”

Fecal microbiota transplantation as a tool to treat and reduce susceptibility to disease in animals

“…Interestingly, there was no effect of the FMT on residual feed intake or nutrient retention; however, in female chickens, FMT appeared to increase total feed intake and overall weight gain. This study highlights that host characteristics, such as sex, may play an important role in the effect and success of FMT administration (Siegerstetter et al, 2018).…”

“…Compared to mock-transplanted controls, FMT significantly reduced the number of pigs affected by porcine circovirus associated disease, as demonstrated by a reduction in morbidity, mortality, pathology, and virus replication . In another experimental study, FMT was evaluated in young piglets as a (Siegerstetter et al, 2018) (continued on next page) modulator of immunity and as a tool to improve the response to Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. Transplantation provided benefits to the systemic immune response of pigs, including a reduction in clinical respiratory disease and more rapid antibody production (Schachtschneider et al, 2013).…”