Intestinal Immune Development Is Accompanied by Temporal Deviation in Microbiota Composition of Newly Hatched Pigeon Squabs

Abstract

The pigeon ( Columba livia ), an altricial bird, is one of the most economically important farmed poultry for table purposes. Identifying the interaction between intestinal mucosal immune system development and commensal microbiota colonization in neonates is of paramount importance for understanding how early life events affect resistance to disease and potential productivity later in life.