16S rDNA sequencing of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from high- and low-weight broilers

This study aimed to compare lung microbial diversity between high- and low-weight broilers. A total of ten high-weight and ten low-weight broilers, all 42 days old, were selected. The high-weight broilers weighed more than 3.1 kg, while the low-weight broilers weighed less than 2.7 kg. Broilers were humanely euthanized via cervical dislocation, and lung lavage was performed using sterile, pre-cooled PBS. The PBS was instilled into the trachea and subsequently recovered, yielding 2 mL of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) for 16S rDNA sequencing.