Rumen microbiome of supplemented lambs

Rumen microbiome structure has been shown to influence animal productivity, feed conversion efficiency, methane emissions and health. Diet has been shown to have a significant impact on microbial community composition in the rumen and could potentially be used to manipulate rumen microbiome structure to achieve specific outcomes. However, the mature rumen microbiome is highly resilient and stable and often dietary interventions only achieve inconsistent or short-lived outcomes. There is some evidence that a window may exist in early life, while the microbiome is being established, where manipulation through diet could lead to long-lasting results.The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that dietary supplementation in early life will have an effect on rumen microbial composition that will persist even once supplementation is ceased.