Seasonal Variations in Microbiome Composition in a Residential Chicken Coop
JOHN CATE, Maria King, Texas A&M University
Abstract Number: 591
Working Group: Bioaerosols in Agriculture: Sources, Risks and Mitigation
Abstract
The study of bioaerosols in residential chicken coops to determine microbiome composition remains under-researched, as most existing literature focuses on the commercial aspects of poultry farming. According to the American Pet Producers Association, approximately 10 million U.S. households kept chickens in 2018, with this number rising due to increasing egg prices. This study, conducted in a residential chicken coop in Texas across various seasons and weather patterns, seeks to delineate fluctuations in the microbiome composition accurately. Testing involved closed and open coop setups, allowing for comparisons between minimal airflow environments in cold weather and open setups in other seasons.
Bioaerosol sampling was carried out using high air volume 100 L/min wetted wall cyclone bioaerosol collectors developed at Texas A&M University in the Aerosol Technology Laboratory, and a dry filter based BioFlyte® BioCapture™ z720 collector operating at 200 L/min. After sampling, bacteria were plated for colony forming unit (CFU) counts, tested for antibacterial resistance using the Kirby-Bauer method, enumerated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for gene copy number (GCN) counts, and analyzed for microbiome composition using Illumina sequencing.
Microbiome analysis comparing results from two winter tests and one summer test has been completed, providing important insights into seasonal variations in the microbiome composition within residential chicken coops. Additional analysis was conducted for wind-borne bioaerosols dispersed from these coops to surrounding neighborhoods and farms, potentially affecting millions of homeowners.
The results show that moving around the coop resuspends hundreds of bacteria per liter of air, exposing people to potentially pathogenic microorganisms with antibiotic resistance. This study suggests that proper ventilation and frequent litter removal could protect individuals working in residential chicken coops from inhaling harmful levels of bioaerosols.