Feeding management in early life influences microbial colonisation and fermentation in the rumen of newborn goat kids
Abstract
The aim of this work was to study the colonisation of the rumen by the three main microbial groups over the first 4 weeks of life and to assess to what extent the type of feeding management (natural with the mother, NAT, or artificial with milk replacer, ART) exerts an effect. Thirty pregnant goats carrying two fetuses were selected. At birth, one kid was taken immediately away from the doe and fed milk replacer (ART), while the other kid remained with the mother (NAT). Groups of four kids (from ART and NAT experimental groups) were slaughtered at 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of life, resulting in seven sampling times. On the sampling day, after slaughtering, the rumen was weighed full and empty and the content sampled and pH measured. Aliquots of rumen digesta were immediately frozen for DNA and volatile fatty acid (VFA) analyses. The weight of the rumen was higher in NAT kids from Day 21 onward, while no difference was observed for rumen content volume. The three microbial groups (bacteria, archaea and protozoa) were detected from Day 1 in both experimental groups. The concentration of bacteria was higher in the rumen of NAT kids on Days 3, 5, 7 and 14 and of protozoa from Day 3 onward. This was reflected in greater VFA concentrations and lower pH in the rumen of NAT kids from Day 3. Our results confirmed substantial microbial colonisation from the first day of life in the undeveloped rumen. The feeding management (natural vs artificial) before weaning had an effect on microbial colonisation and rumen fermentation and, therefore, it should be considered when designing nutritional intervention strategies in early life.
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Artificially reared calves have a near absence of protozoa in the rumen, as protozoa can only be inoculated in the rumen by direct contact with the dam or other mature animals through saliva.
“Another distinctive feature between natural and artificial rearing systems is the near absence of protozoa in the rumen of artificially reared calves, as protozoa can only be inoculated in the rumen by direct contact with the dam or other mature animals through saliva (Abecia et al., 2014).”
From Addressing global ruminant agricultural challenges through understanding the rumen microbiome: past, present, and future (2018) · cites this paper as Abecia et al., 2014
Application of bromochloromethane (BCM) to young goat kids modified archaeal colonization of the rumen, and was linked to a reduction in methane emission of around 50%, with the effects persisting for 3 months after weaning.
“It has been shown that application of bromochloromethane (BCM) to young goat kids modified archaeal colonization of the rumen, and was linked to a reduction in methane emission of around 50%, with the effects persisting for 3 months after weaning (Abecia et al., 2013, 2014).”
From Addressing global ruminant agricultural challenges through understanding the rumen microbiome: past, present, and future (2018) · cites this paper as Abecia et al., 2014
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- Authors
- Abecia, L., Ramos-Morales, E., Martínez-Fernandez, G., Arco, A., Martín-García, A. I., Newbold, C. J., & Yáñez-Ruiz, D. R.
- Affiliations
- Estación Experimental del Zaidín (ES)
- AEstación Experimental del Zaidín (CSIC), Profesor Albareda 1, 18008, Granada, Spain.
- Aberystwyth University (GB)
- Venue
- Animal Production Science
- Publisher
- CSIRO Publishing
- Published
- 2014-07-23
- Volume
- 54
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 1449-1454
- ISSN
- 1836-0939 (ISSN-L)
- 1836-5787
- OpenAlex
- W2156879872
- Cited by
- 75
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 5
- FWCI
- 7.94
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Animal Production Science (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBS/E/W/10964A01B, BBS/E/W/10964A01C)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agronomy and Crop Science › Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive Physiology
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Animal Nutrition and Physiology
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Gut microbiota and health
- Keywords
- goat kids, feed management, milk replacer, natural feeding, rumen fermentation, volatile fatty acids, rumen pH, rumen protozoa, rumen bacteria, rumen archaea, early life nutrition, weaning
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