Comparison between rumen and feces microbial community of Qinghai yaks based on high-throughput sequencing analysis

Yaks are very important to the economy and livelihood of local herders on the Tibetan Plateau and are their primary source of income. The characteristics of the rumen and fecal microbiota and the differences in community structure between them are of great significance for understanding the unique plateau adaptation of Qinghai yak. To our knowledge, there have been limited studies on yak fecal microorganisms in actual yak production and research. In this study, we fed a total mixed diet to 12 bred male yaks (Bos grunniens). By 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the distribution of microbes in the rumen and feces of yaks was studied, and the differences were analyzed. It was found that the microorganisms in the rumen and feces of Qinghai yak were quite different. There-fore, these studies will help us understand the rumen and fecal microbiota of Qinghai yak, further provide complete information about the rumen and fecal microbiota of yak, and provide the the-oretical basis for related nutritional research and healthy breeding of Qinghai yak.