Microbiome network traits in the rumen predict average daily gain in beef cattle under different backgrounding systems.
Bobwealth O OmonteseAshok K SharmaSamuel DavisonEmily JacobsonAlfredo DiConstanzoMegan J WebbAndres M GomezPublished in: Animal microbiome (2022)
Bacterial co-abundance interactions, as measured by network theory approaches, better predicted growth performance in beef cattle during BKG and finishing, than the abundance of specific taxa. These findings underscore the importance of early post weaning stages as potential targets for feeding interventions that can enhance metabolic interactions between rumen bacteria, to increase productive performance in beef cattle.