The Duration of Increased Grain Feeding Affects the Microbiota throughout the Digestive Tract of Yearling Holstein Steers

Effects of the duration of moderate grain feeding on the taxonomic composition of gastrointestinal microbiota were determined in 15 Holstein yearling steers. Treatments included feeding a diet of 92% dry matter (DM) hay (D0), and feeding a 41.5% barley grain diet for 7 (D7) or 21 d (D21) before slaughter. At slaughter, digesta samples were collected from six regions, i.e., the rumen, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon, and rectum. Extracted DNA from these samples was analyzed using MiSeq Illumina sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Three distinct PCoA clusters existed, i.e., the rumen, the jejunum/ileum, and the cecum/colon/rectum. Feeding the grain diet for 7 d reduced microbial diversity in all regions, except the ileum. Extending the duration of grain feeding from 7 to 21 d did not affect this diversity further. Across regions, treatment changed the relative abundances of 89 genera. Most of the changes between D0 and D7 and between D7 and D21 were opposite, demonstrating the resilience of gastrointestinal microbiota to a moderate increase in grain feeding. Results show that the duration of a moderate increase in grain feeding affects how gastrointestinal microbiota respond to this increase.