Anel Engelbrecht

TL;DR: It is found that faeces were significantly better than cloacal swabs in representing the bacterial community of the colon, and recommended sampling faecal samples, whenever possible, as this sample type provides the most accurate assessment of the Colon microbiome.

TL;DR: There was a five‐fold difference in juvenile growth during development, and growth during the first week of age was strongly positively correlated with the abundance of the genus Bacteroides and negatively correlated with Akkermansia.

TL;DR: A simple preliminary selection index including chick production and slaughter weight appears to be adequate for the present needs, given the limited availability of routinely recorded traits, and worthwhile gains in all traits appear to be achievable within a selection objective based on economic principles.

TL;DR: It is demonstrated that sampling methods can have significant effects on the inferred gut microbiome in studies of birds using a case study on juvenile ostriches, Struthio camelus, and high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing.

TL;DR: Identifying the origins of pathobionts in neonates and the factors that subsequently influence the establishment of diverse gut microbiota may be key to understanding dysbiosis and host development.