Table 1.
A list of recent studies showing the relationship between intestinal microbiota composition and injurious behavior in laying hens.
| Treatment | Effects | Conclusion | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| H & L birds of the HFP & LFP lines | Selection caused line’s differences in intestinal microbial metabolites. | These changes could relate to lines’ differences in behaviors via the MGB axis. | [142] |
| Birds of the HFP & LFP Lines | HFP birds had ↓cecal microbial beta diversity with ↑relative abundance of Clostridiae but ↓Lactobaccillacae. | Selection causes differences in the cecal microbial profile; cecal microbiota may involve in FP behavior. | [143] |
| Genotypes: Selected HFP & LFP lines | HFP birds had ↑genera of Clostridiales, ↓Staphylococcus & Lactobacillus in LM. HFP birds had ↑diversity & evenness for both cecal MAM & LM. HFP neutral birds had ↑genera of Clostridiales, ↓Lactobacillus with ↑diversity & evenness in LM but not MAM. |
Feather pecking genotype but not phenotype affects LM composition; but the correlation between FP and microbiota composition remains to be elucidated. | [144] |
| Phenotypes: Feather peckers & neutrals | |||
| HFP & LFP recipients received microbiota from the same line (HMT) during the 1st two weeks | HMT influenced immune characteristics in both lines. HMT influenced active behavior and peripheral serotonin in the LFP line. HMT without effects on gut microbiota composition, stress response, and FP. |
Early MT may influence the development of FP due to its effects on FP-associated behavioral and physiological characteristics. | [145] |
| Birds of the HFP & LFP lines | HFP birds had ↓genera Lactobacillus, ↑Escherichia in ileum digesta, and ↓Faecalibacturium & Blautia in cecal digesta & mucoa. | Gut microbial composition and its functions are not associated with FP & antagonistic behavior. | [149] |
| DXL recipients received CMT from lines 63, 72 or saline orally from day 1 to day 10, then boosted once from week 3 to week 5 | HFP birds had ↑tryptophan metabolism & lysine degradation in digesta & mucosa. There were no line effects on microbial abilities. | [146] | |
| 63-CMT recipients displayed less aggressive behavior during paired aggression test with higher concentrations of serotonin. | Early-life CMT has the potential to reduce aggressive behavior through the GMB axis. |
Line 63: gentle birds; Line 72: aggressive birds; CMT: cecal microbiota transplantation; FP: feather pecking, H: high feather-pecking birds; HFP: high feather pecking line; HMT: microbiota transplantation within the same line; L: low feather-pecking birds; LFP: low feather line; LM: luminal microbiota, MAM: mucosa-associated microbiota; MGB axis: the microbiota–gut–brain axis.