Chicken study reveals environmental impact on gut microbiomes
Indigenous chickens had more diversity in their gut microbiomes.
New research from The Roslin Institute has uncovered the impact of climate, altitude and dietary supplements on the complexity of microbial diversity of chickens.
The discovery was made as part of an investigation into the gut microbiomes of indigenous village chickens in Ethiopia.
The project involved collaboration from the Roslin Institute and the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health. The team sought to understand how habitat impacted the microbiomes of chickens and how this could inform more sustainable poultry farming on a global scale.
Ethiopia provided researchers with a unique opportunity to investigate this, with its altitude variations, climate variability and traditional farming practices.
The research team examined the gut content samples of over 200 village chickens in Ethiopia. This included chickens from a variety of climates, from the cooler temperatures of the highlands to the warmer lowland regions.
Results highlighted a difference between the microbiota of Ethiopian village chickens and commercial poultry in Europe.
Chickens in Ethiopia were exposed to more high-fibre diets and diverse environments than their European counterparts. This resulted in them having microbiota which were far more complex and adaptable.
Indigenous chickens play a significant role to industry in Ethiopia, supplying products across the country and sustaining the livelihoods of millions of farmers.
However, despite this, much poultry research has focused on commercial breeds in the Western world.
The researchers say this oversight was significant, since indigenous chickens have more diversity in their gut microbiomes. They suggest that this has been key to their local adaptation and resilience.
They believe that, with climate change and consumer demands increasing reliance on free-range farming, findings from Ethiopian chickens could drive more sustainable practices globally.
It could also drive more tailored interventions which consider chickens’ environmental pressures and dietary habits.
Laura Glendinning, Chancellor’s Fellow at The Roslin Institute, said: “Our study highlights the extraordinary microbial diversity shaped by Ethiopia's climate zones and traditional farming practices. There’s a lot that both commercial and smallholder farmers can learn from each other based on the gut microbiota of their animals.
“By studying indigenous chickens, we can gain essential insights into how environmental factors drive microbiome diversity, which is crucial for developing sustainable poultry farming practices globally."
The full study can be found in the journal Microbiome.
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