Diversity of the taxonomic structure present in the litter of broiler chickens under industrial conditions

Abstract

The purpose of the current work was to determine the microbial composition of litter generated during the industrial rearing of broiler chickens. This is necessary in order to achieve an understanding of the influence of various microorganisms on the processing of waste products for absorption into the soil without harming and polluting the environment, for example, with bound phytate ions. The object of the study was litter sampled from under broiler chickens of different ages and parent flocks. During the study, the following groups of microorganisms were identified: peptococci (family Peptococcaceae); actinomycetes (except for the family Pasteurellaceae) from the order Actinomycetales; actinobacillus (family Pasteurellaceae); lactobacilli and enterococci (genera Lactobacillus and Enterococcus, respectively); bacteroides (phylum Bacteroidetes); ruminococci (genus Ruminococcus); eubacteria (family Eubacteriaceae) and enterobacteria (family Enterobacteriaceae). Quantitative indicators of colonies of various taxonomic groups were determined, and it was shown that these indicators changed with increasing period of litter use. Furthermore, the study revealed that the microbial composition of the litter changed over time. As the litter age increased, there was an increase in the abundance of certain bacteria, such as Peptococci and Actinobacillus, which are known to be involved in the decomposition of organic material.