Seasonal metagenomics of Marwadi sheep (Ovis aries) dung from Sardarkrushinagar, Gujarat, India
This study profiles the fecal microbiome of Marwadi sheep (Ovis aries) across three seasons, summer, monsoon, and winter, sampled at the Livestock Research Station, Sardarkrushinagar, Banaskantha, Gujarat, India (24.3230625 N, 72.2971875 E). Fresh dung was collected immediately after defecation using sterile tools, transported on ice, and stored at -80 C prior to DNA extraction. Samples correspond to BioSamples titled Marwadi Sheep dung metagenome (M6_Summer, M6_Monsoon, M6_Winter) with Organism = feces metagenome, host = Ovis aries (Marwadi breed), and isolation source = fresh dung (feces) from domesticated sheep. The project enables seasonal comparisons of gut microbial diversity and functional potential in a semi-arid production setting relevant to animal health, nutrient cycling, and manure management in Indian small-ruminant systems. Raw reads generated here are intended for downstream taxonomic and functional annotation (e.g., host-associated microbiome/KEGG/eggNOG pipelines) and cross-study re-use.