Supporting data for "Female reproductive tract microbiota influence egg production in layer chickens"

The microbiota of the female reproductive tract is increasingly recognized as having fundamental roles in animal reproduction. To explore the relative contribution of reproductive tract microbiomes on egg production in chickens, we investigated the microbiota in multiple reproductive and digestive tract sites from 128 female layer (egg-producing) chickens in comparable environments. <br>We identified substantial differences between the diversity, composition, and predicted function of site-associated microbiota. Reproductive tract microbiota were more profoundly affected in egg production than in the digestive tract. We identified four reproductive tract microbial species, <i>Bacteroides fragilis, B. salanitronis, B. barnesiae, </i> and <i>Clostridium leptum</i>, which were related to immune function and potentially contribute to enhanced egg production. <br>These findings provide insights into the diverse microbiota characteristics of reproductive and digestive tracts, and may help design strategies for controlling and manipulating chicken reproductive tract microbiota to improve egg production.