Impact of fermentation-derived feed additive on broiler chicken gut microbiota during the first 14 days of life

The first 14 days following hatch are a crucial time for gut microbiota development for broiler chickens as there can be life-long implications for nutrient usage, immune function, and resistance against diseases. The presented investigation examined the impacts of a fermentation-derived feed additive, Probiotein (FDFA), on microbiota development, feed intake, and growth performance in broiler chickens during the first 14 days after hatching. Dietary treatments of different levels (0%, 0.20%, 0.50%, and 0.75% FDFA) were distributed across 400 male Ross 308 chicks under battery cage housing conditions. Each day, fresh samples of cecal and fecal droppings, along with feed for each cage, were collected during the first 14 days of life and subsequently assessed with 16S rRNA sequencing of the V4 region with the Illumina MiSeq platform. Bioinformatic analyses, with the use of QIIME2-2024.10 pipeline, consisted of alpha and beta diversity, differential abundance of microbial taxa, and core microbiome. The inclusion of FDFA significantly affected the microbial richness, evenness, and phylogenic composition of the ceca, with 0.50% FDFA specifically allowing for faster microbial maturation and increased stability of the microbial community. Core microbiota analyses found beneficial taxa in the supplemented groups during the early days of life, including the taxa of Lachnospiraceae, Butyricicoccus, and Eubacterium coprostanoligenes. Unique to this investigation was the collection of daily feed samples, which demonstrated time-dependent shifts that mirrored those of the gut microbiome. The findings of this study suggest that inclusion of FDFA in the feed of early-life chicks, in a dose-dependent manner, positively impact the chicken gut microbiota.