TABLE 1.

Comparative effects of flock, flock cycle, sample type, and age on the bacterial microbiota

Variable	Age (day no.)	Sample typea
		Cecum		Ileum		Trachea		Litterb
		P	R	P	R	P	R	P	R
Flock	7	<0.001	0.053	0.02	0.037	0.002	0.105
	14	<0.001	0.066	0.175	0.013	<0.001	0.265
	21	<0.001	0.134	0.19	0.011	<0.001	0.108
	28	<0.001	0.095	0.05	0.027	<0.001	0.12
	35	0.004	0.078	0.004	0.094	<0.001	0.124
	42	<0.001	0.298	<0.001	0.118	0.004	0.057
Flock cycle	7	<0.001	0.493	<0.001	0.582	<0.001	0.625
	14	<0.001	0.373	<0.001	0.635	<0.001	0.447
	21	<0.001	0.39	<0.001	0.567	<0.001	0.431
	28	<0.001	0.279	<0.001	0.443	<0.001	0.202
	35	<0.001	0.446	<0.001	0.522	<0.001	0.299
	42	<0.001	0.254	<0.001	0.429	<0.001	0.24
All ages		<0.001	0.307	<0.001	0.086	<0.001	0.252	<0.001	0.488

^aFor all sample types together, P < 0.001 and R = 0.636.

^bNote that litter samples were excluded from flock and cycle analyses due to smaller sample sizes.