The composition and stability of the faecal microbiota of Merino sheep

To determine the composition and temporal stability of the gut (faecal) microbiota of sheep (Ovis aries). Microbial population dynamics was conducted using ARISA (28 sheep) and 16S rRNA sequencing (11 sheep). Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the predominant bacterial phyla, constituting ~80% of the total population. The core faecal bacterial microbiota of sheep consisted of 67 of 136 detected families and 91 of 215 detected species. Predominant...