Feeding modes shape the acquisition and structure of the initial gut microbiota in newborn lambs

Abstract

SummaryEarly gut microbial colonization is important for postnatal metabolic and immune development. However, little is known about the effects of different feeding modes (suckling versus bottle‐feeding) or microbial sources on this process in farm animals. We found that suckled and bottle‐fed newborn lambs had their own distinct gut microbiota. Results from 16S rRNA gene sequencing and qPCR showed that, compared with suckling, bottle feeding significantly increased the abundances of Escherichia/Shigella, Butyricicoccus, and Clostridium XlVa, while significantly decreased the abundance of Clostridium XI. The higher levels of Escherichia/Shigella in bottle‐fed lambs suggest that artificial feeding may increase the number of potential pathogens and delay the establishment of the anaerobic environment and anaerobic microbes. Feeding modes also affected the direct transmission of bacteria from the mother and the environment to newborns. The SourceTracker analysis estimated that the early gut microbes of suckled lambs were mainly derived from the mother's teats (43%) and ambient air (28%); whereas those of bottle‐fed lambs were dominated by bacteria from the mother's vagina (46%), ambient air (31%), and the sheep pen floor (12%). These findings advance our understanding of gut microbiota in early life and may help design techniques to improve gut microbiota and health.

Distinct Stage Changes in Early-Life Colonization and Acquisition of the Gut Microbiota and Its Correlations With Volatile Fatty Acids in Goat Kids

“…Like the findings in feces of humans ( Zhang et al, 2009 ; Fallani et al, 2011 ; Koenig et al, 2011 ; Faith et al, 2013 ) and animals [e.g., cattle ( Durso et al, 2010 ; Alipour et al, 2018 ), sheep ( Bi et al, 2019 ), pigs ( Looft et al, 2014 ), and monkeys ( Yasuda et al, 2015 )], the phyla Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria were predominant in the fecal and rumen microbiota of goat kids and their mothers. The highest abundance of Proteobacteria and high variability in alpha diversity were present in the fecal microbiota of goat newborns on day 0, which is also true in hindguts of other goat breeds ( Jiao et al, 2016 ; Li et al, 2019 ) and the rumen of calves ( Rey et al, 2014 ).…”

Dietary Supplementation with Sugar Beet Fructooligosaccharides and Garlic Residues Promotes Growth of Beneficial Bacteria and Increases Weight Gain in Neonatal Lambs

“…The combinative administration of FOS and garlic might have an impact on ruminant health, as they have shown to limit the ability of potential pathogen growth and the incidence of diarrheal diseases. This could be particularly relevant in lamb farms where lambs are not fed with breast milk, as the ones from this study, considering the recent results obtained by Bi et al [21] were they correlated bottle-feeding with an increased abundance of potential pathogens such as Escherichia/Shigella and diarrheal incidences. Escherichia is a well-known member of the normal intestinal microbiota of animals, and it comprises a very versatile genus including harmless commensal and pathogenic strains that can provoke intestinal diseases, such as diarrhea, which is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in newborn ruminants [21,61].…”

“…This could be particularly relevant in lamb farms where lambs are not fed with breast milk, as the ones from this study, considering the recent results obtained by Bi et al [21] were they correlated bottle-feeding with an increased abundance of potential pathogens such as Escherichia/Shigella and diarrheal incidences. Escherichia is a well-known member of the normal intestinal microbiota of animals, and it comprises a very versatile genus including harmless commensal and pathogenic strains that can provoke intestinal diseases, such as diarrhea, which is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in newborn ruminants [21,61]. Some studies have reported the effect of FOS, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus in hindering the attachment of Escherichia, to the epithelial cell surfaces and thus reducing the incidence of diarrheal processes [29,67,68].…”

“…The microbial colonization of the GIT of neonatal ruminants starts at birth and the microbial communities evolve widely during the first weeks of life [14][15][16][17][18][19]. The early life of ruminants is pivotal for the establishment of a functional GIT microbiota, as it is influenced by multiple factors including age, diet, feeding method, gender and weather [20,21]. Diet has been shown to have a significant impact on GIT microbiota structure and has the potential to be used in order to manipulate it towards specific outcomes [22].…”

“…Feeding of lambs with sheep breast milk provides them with beneficial compounds for their survival and optimal development, including oligosaccharides and glycans that stimulate the growth of beneficial GIT microbiota, such as Bifidobacterium and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) [10,29]. The feeding method is a critical factor for lamb GIT microbiota development and the beneficial effects of breast-feeding over bottle-feeding have been stated [21]. However, in many commercial dairy sheep farms, where sheep milk is used for other purposes, lambs are often separated from their mothers after birth and are fed with milk replacer [23].…”