Study reveals differences in feral, commercial chicken gut

Researchers at the University of Hawaii have sequenced the intestinal microbiome of the Hawaiian feral chicken.

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(University of Hawaii)
(University of Hawaii)

Researchers at the University of Hawaii have sequenced the intestinal microbiome of the Hawaiian feral chicken.

The findings, published in Poultry Science, could provide clues about the biology and health of modern-day chickens used for commercial operations. 

“Understanding the gut microbiota of chicken provides us with better knowledge of its interaction with the host body, guiding the poultry industry to manipulate desirable changes that benefit poultry health and production,” explained study lead author Rajesh Jha of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences.

“The gut microbiota was once known as a ‘forgotten organ,’ whereas it is now associated with everything from the behavior of birds to nutrition and even genetic aspects.”

The research could also explain why differences in development, health, digestion, nutrient absorption and immunity occur between the two breeds.

“To the best of our knowledge, this project was the first of its kind to characterize the composition of cecal microbiota of Hawaiian feral birds in comparison to commercial birds. This type of study opens new avenues to know the in-depth differences in birds in the wild, their hardiness to disease and their meat quality via their linkage to the gut microbiota compared to commercial chickens’ microbiota,” Jha added.

Next generation sequencing

Using next generation sequencing (NGS), the researchers characterized the cecal microbiota of feral and pasture-raised broiler chickens. Several applications, including whole genome sequencing and targeted sequencing, fall under the umbrella of NGS.

The microbiome of the feral chickens contained a higher percentage of specific bacteria at a lower diversity than their commercial counterparts. The researchers attributed these differences to the scavenging nature, diverse feed ingredients and distinct rearing localities of the feral birds.

“Our study found that feral chickens had lower diversity but a higher percentage of specific bacteria and thus verified that higher diversity does not mean better; instead, it's more about the share of specific bacteria,” Jha said.

“Exploring the different dimensions of the gut microbiota is one of several areas of focus these days, but we have to think about how to utilize these research findings to improve the performance of birds and the quality of chicken we deliver.”

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