Effect of sanitary housing and dietary fibre level on the adaptation of gut microbiota after weaning

Abstract : At weaning, the intestinal microbial ecosystem has to adapt to new feeds and to a new environment. The diverse and abundant commensal microbiota and its production of volatile fatty acids (VFA), especially butyrate, are involved in the prevention of diarrhoea and defence against pathogens. This study investigated the effects of the level of dietary fibre (DF) and sanitary housing conditions on the microbiota of weaned pigs. Forty-eight piglets, weaned at 28days of age, were housed in clean or poor conditions. They were fed during two consecutive phases, two diets containing a high level (16.9 then 21.7% total dietary fibre-TDF, mainly.