Work

Dynamic succession and origin of gut microbiota during early-life in White King pigeon

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The gut microbiota plays a critical role in host health, yet the dynamic establishment and key influencing factors of the early-life gut microbiota in pigeons remain poorly understood. METHODS: This study employed 16 S rRNA gene sequencing to characterize the spatiotemporal succession of gut microbiota in White King pigeon squabs (Within one week after birth) and quantify contributions from potential sources, including pigeon milk, cloaca, egg components, feed, and environment. RESULTS: Revealed a dramatic transition from prenatal to postnatal microbiota: meconium (G0) was dominated by Pseudomonas (19.6%), Enterococcus 14.5%), and Escherichia-Shigella (8.7%), whereas postnatal communities rapidly shifted to a stable composition dominated by Lactobacillus and Limosilactobacillus (Firmicutes) by day 2. Source tracking analysis demonstrated that prenatal colonization primarily originated from albumen (DB) and female cloaca (XZ), contributing 40.4% of G0 microbiota, The microbiota in 1-day-old squabs (G1) were primarily from eggshell (DK) and pigeon milk (M0), while the proportion from prenatal microbes was extremely low. Postnatally, microbiota assembly was increasingly driven by previously colonized communities, with diminishing unknown origin inputs (4.45% by day 7). CONCLUSIONS: These findings establish the first 48 h as a critical developmental window for gut microbiota maturation and highlight eggshell and pigeon milk as the primary driver of early microbial assembly. The study provides a scientific basis for microbial modulation strategies in pigeon farming, including probiotic-supplemented artificial pigeon milk formulation and biosecurity measures to mitigate prenatal pathogen transmission.

Source: BMC Microbiology

DOI: 10.1186/s12866-025-04449-8