The Effect of Housing, Season and Strain of Chickens on the Biodiversity of Gut Microflora in the Gastrointestinal Tract Using 16S Ribosomal DNA-Based Analysis

In a series of previous studies we demonstrated that local Omani chickens exhibited inferior growth performance compared to Cobb500 Broilers when these birds were maintained under the same closed housing management system. This inferior growth performance was demonstrated to be directly associated with delayed small intestinal villi development during the critical growth period from Day 5 to Day 25. Furthermore, using ribosomal DNA based molecular techniques it was shown that the inferior villi development was associated with significantly different microbial populations in the small intestine during this same time period. In Oman, it is recommended that chickens be maintained in Open-sided housing. There are no studies however available to evaluate the growth performance, intestinal development or microbial populations of various intestinal segments in these birds when they are maintained under these conditions. Analysis of chicken gut bacteria has usually been carried out using conventional culture techniques, but these techniques have been found to be inefficient in identifying and classifying certain groups of bacteria. Recent advances in ribosomal DNA based molecular techniques allow identification of different bacterial populations in environmental samples without cultivation. The objective of the current study will be to evaluate the effect of housing, season and strain of chickens on the biodiversity of the bacterial community in the gastrointestinal tract of birds fed a non-medicated corn-soybean diet from 0 to 35d of age using 16S rDNA- based analysis. This will be the first study to evaluate the effects of open-sided housing on Omani chicken bacteria populations using molecular techniques with 16S rDNA and the effect of these microflora on the growth performance and intestinal development.

In a series of previous studies we demonstrated that local Omani chickens exhibited inferior growth performance compared to Cobb500 Broilers when these birds were maintained under the same closed housing management system. This inferior growth performance was demonstrated to be directly associated with delayed small intestinal villi development during the critical growth period from Day 5 to Day 25. Furthermore, using ribosomal DNA based molecular techniques it was shown that the inferior villi development was associated with significantly different microbial populations in the small intestine during this same time period. In Oman, it is recommended that chickens be maintained in Open-sided housing. There are no studies however available to evaluate the growth performance, intestinal development or microbial populations of various intestinal segments in these birds when they are maintained under these conditions. Analysis of chicken gut bacteria has usually been carried out using conventional culture techniques, but these techniques have been found to be inefficient in identifying and classifying certain groups of bacteria. Recent advances in ribosomal DNA based molecular techniques allow identification of different bacterial populations in environmental samples without cultivation. The objective of the current study will be to evaluate the effect of housing, season and strain of chickens on the biodiversity of the bacterial community in the gastrointestinal tract of birds fed a non-medicated corn-soybean diet from 0 to 35d of age using 16S rDNA- based analysis. This will be the first study to evaluate the effects of open-sided housing on Omani chicken bacteria populations using molecular techniques with 16S rDNA and the effect of these microflora on the growth performance and intestinal development.