Bacterial Diversity Associated with Feeding Boschveld Indigenous Chickens with Sorghum-Based Diets 

Abstract

<title>Abstract</title> The metagenomics technique was applied to assess the effects of sorghum-based diets on the gut microbes of Boschveld indigenous chickens. A total of 420 unsexed, day-old Boschveld indigenous chickens, in a completely randomized design, were assigned to a three sorghum varieties (red, brown, and white) x 5 inclusion levels (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) x 4 replicate with 7 chicks per replicate for 90 days. The bacterial communities at alpha diversity indices at observed; Shannon and Simpson indexes were more abundant at day 90 of sample collection than on day 60. The group of chickens offered diets with 50% (level 3) inclusion of sorghum varieties had more bacteria than other inclusion levels. The dominant bacteria communities at the phylum level were <italic>Firmicutes</italic>, <italic>Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidia, while Lactobacillus - Aviarius, Comamoducuae, and Methylobacterium</italic> were dominant at the genus level. Boschveld chickens fed diets with the white sorghum variety were the only group with 1% of <italic>Campybacterales</italic> present in their guts compared to groups fed red and brown sorghum varieties at the phylum level. The same group of chickens fed diets, including the white sorghum variety, showed Streptococcus at 6%, which was unique to the guts of this group compared to their counterparts at the genus level. This study provided information about how feeding different diets influences bacterial diversity and dominance in chickens' gut microbiomes.