Gut Microbiota Dynamics in Waterfowl Nutrition

The gut microbiota of ducks and geese comprises a complex community of bacteria, archaea, fungi and viruses that interact with the host to support digestion, nutrient absorption and immune defence. Key microbial phyla such as Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria drive the breakdown of fibres and the production of short‐chain fatty acids, which serve as energy sources and modulate inflammatory responses. This community undergoes rapid temporal development after hatching, achieving greater diversity and functional stability as the bird matures. Environmental factors, including rearing conditions and diet composition, induce regional shifts in microbial composition along the intestinal tract, with distinct communities in foregut and hindgut compartments. The co-evolutionary relationship between host genome adaptations in metabolism and symbiotic microbial functions underpins unique waterfowl traits, such as efficient fibre digestion and regulated liver fat deposition. Insights into these dynamics have broad implications for sustainable poultry production, disease management and optimisation of feed strategies in global waterfowl farming.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Integrated analyses of goose host genomes and caecal metagenomes have revealed that gene families involved in glycolysis, starch and sucrose metabolism, propanoate metabolism and the citrate cycle have expanded in waterfowl, reflecting adaptive evolution alongside symbiotic microbial functions. This foundational work demonstrated that shared functional enrichments in host and microbial pathways underpin efficient energy harvesting from plant polysaccharides. In addition, dietary trials using cassava foliage in geese have shown that modest inclusion levels reshape caecal microbial diversity, shifting the balance towards Bacteroidetes at the expense of Firmicutes and enriching genes linked to nutrient and energy metabolism. These studies collectively highlight how deliberate feed formulation can steer microbial consortia towards communities that enhance host performance and welfare.

Gut Microbiota Dynamics in Waterfowl Nutrition publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in gut microbiota dynamics in waterfowl nutrition across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Gut microbiota: The community of microorganisms residing in the digestive tract of waterfowl.

Metagenome: The collective genetic content of a microbial community extracted directly from an environment.

Caecum: A pouch at the junction of the small and large intestine that hosts dense microbial populations.

Short‐chain fatty acids: Metabolic products of microbial fermentation of dietary fibres that influence host energy balance and immune function.

Alpha diversity: A measure of species richness and evenness within a single microbial community.

Operational taxonomic unit (OTU): A proxy for microbial species or genera based on sequence similarity thresholds.

References

1. Genome and metagenome analyses reveal adaptive evolution of the host and interaction with the gut microbiota in the goose. Scientific Reports (2016).
2. Cassava foliage affects the microbial diversity of Chinese indigenous geese caecum using 16S rRNA sequencing. Scientific Reports (2017).
3. Duck gut metagenome reveals the microbiome signatures linked to intestinal regional, temporal development, and rearing condition. iMeta (2024).
4. Impact of fasting and refeeding on immune markers, hepatic gene expression, and gut microbiota in geese: insights into metabolic regulation and gut-liver interactions. Frontiers in Microbiology (2025).
5. Feeding whole-plant ensiled corn stover affects growth performance, blood parameters, and Cecal microbiota of Holdobagy goose. Frontiers in Veterinary Science (2023).