Preweaning period is a critical window for rumen microbial regulation of average daily gain in Holstein heifer calves

Abstract

Background Rumen bacterial groups can affect growth performance, such as average daily gain (ADG), feed intake, and efficiency. The study aimed to investigate the inter-relationship of rumen bacterial composition, rumen fermentation indicators, serum indicators, and growth performance of Holstein heifer calves with different ADG. Twelve calves were chosen from a trail with 60 calves and divided into higher ADG (HADG, high pre- and post-weaning ADG, n = 6) and lower ADG (LADG, low pre- and post-weaning ADG, n = 6) groups to investigate differences in bacterial composition and functions and host phenotype. Results During the preweaning period, the relative abundances of propionate producers, including g_norank_f_Butyricicoccaceae, g_Pyramidobacter, and g_norank_f_norank_o_Clostridia_vadinBB60_group, were higher in HADG calves (LDA > 2, P < 0.05). Enrichment of these bacteria resulted in increased levels of propionate, a gluconeogenic precursor, in preweaning HADG calves (adjusted P < 0.05), which consequently raised serum glucose concentrations (adjusted P < 0.05). In contrast, the relative abundances of rumen bacteria in post-weaning HADG calves did not exert this effect. Moreover, no significant differences were observed in rumen fermentation parameters and serum indices between the two groups. Conclusions The findings of this study revealed that the preweaning period is the window of opportunity for rumen bacteria to regulate the ADG of calves.

Exploring the Rumen Microbiota and Serum Metabolite Profile of Hainan Black Goats with Different Body Weights before Weaning

“…Correspondingly, the HBW goat kids exhibited significantly higher serum levels of glucose, TC, and TG when compared with the LBW group. Recent research by Xu et al [43] aligns with our findings, demonstrating that rumen microbiota enhancement leads to increased production of propionate and VFAs. This, in turn, elevates serum glucose levels, subsequently boosting the average daily weight gain in Holstein heifer calves pre-weaning.…”

Effects of Tail Vegetable Fermented Feed on the Growth and Rumen Microbiota of Lambs

“…The rumen microbial community is instrumental in maintaining lamb health through nutrient metabolism, mucosal barrier integrity, and defense against pathogenic invasions [32,33]. In our study, we sequenced and analyzed rumen digesta to assess the gut microbiota's species richness.…”

Effects of yeast culture on in vitro ruminal fermentation and microbial community of high concentrate diet in sheep

“…As an important digestive organ of ruminants, the rumen harbors a great deal of microorganisms. To a certain degree, the rumen is controllable, and reasonable adjustment can regulate the microbial composition in the rumen, which is helpful for maintaining healthy of animals (Xu et al 2023 ). In this experiment, YC supplementation (1%) increased the Chao1, ACE and Shannon indexes of incubated ruminal fluid, indicating that appropriate addition of YC would increase the richness and diversity of ruminal bacterial community.…”