Causal estimation of the relationship between reproductive performance and the fecal bacteriome in cattle

In this study, a causal inference methodology was applied to investigate AI-dependent gut bacterial communities in pregnant cattle. These findings suggest that AI numbers, which are crucial for beef cattle production management, could be inferred from the fecal bacterial patterns nearly six months before the AI, rather than immediately before. This study provides a novel perspective of the gut environment and its role in reproductive performance.