The effect of medicated diets and level of feeding on caecal microbiota of lactating rabbit does

AIMS: To study the effect of the type of antibiotic used in medicated diets against pathogens and the feeding level on the microbial biodiversity in the rabbit caecum. METHODS AND RESULTS: Three groups of eight does were given a diet unsupplemented (NAB) or with 100 ppm of bacitracin (BAC) or tiamulin (TIA). Litter sizes of four does in each group were adjusted to five (LS5) or to nine (LS9), to manipulate their levels of feed intake. The feeding level strongly affected caecal microbiota in does fed on NAB and BAC diet, whereas the effect of the antibiotic was higher in TIA-supplemented animals, even prevailing over the effect of feeding level. Daily food intake and milk yield (P<0.05) and caecum weight (P<0.10) were higher in feeding of LS9 does. The total volatile fatty acid concentration was lower with BAC (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The feeding level strongly affects caecal biodiversity in lactating does. The extent of the antibiotic effect depends on its nature, being significant with TIA but not with BAC. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Changes in the feeding level promote different profiles of caecal microbiota. Therapeutic doses of TIA may affect caecal microbiota, whereas BAC would not reduce diversity.