EVALUATION OF MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION OF COMMERCIAL POULTRY FEED

Abstract

Poultry feed is one of the major vectors for the transmission of microbial agents to poultry farms and processing plants. This present study aims at the evaluation and identification of bacteria and fungi that possibly contaminate commercial poultry feeds within Ikot Ekpene metropolis. Microbial investigations were carried out on four (4) different poultry feeds. The samples were examined using standard bacteriological and mycological plate culture methods. The outcome of the study shows that sample A (starter mash) had the bacterial count of 5.8x10⁵cfu/g and fungal count of 1.6x10⁵cfu/g, sample B (chick mash) had the bacterial counts of 2.8x10⁵cfu/g and fungal count of 1.9x10⁶cfu/g, sample C (Grower mash) had the bacterial count of 12.4x10⁵cfu/g and fungal count of 2.7x10⁵cfu/g and sample D (Layer mash) had the bacterial count of 7.1x10⁵cfu/g and fungal count of 2.3x10⁵cfu/g. The bacterial isolates were Staphylococcus sp, Micrococcus sp, Bacillus sp, Proteus sp, Enterobacter sp, Salmonella sp and Shigella sp. The fungal isolates identified were Aspergillus sp, Rhizopus sp Mucor sp and Cladosporuim sp. The highest percentage frequency of occurrence of bacterial isolates were observed in Staphylococcus sp with (21.71%) and the least being Shigella with 14.98%. Aspergillus sp had the highest prevalence of 49.41% and the lowest being Mucor sp with 10.59%. The high prevalence of the organism may be attributed to contamination during preparations of these feeds, exposure of feed to unsanitary environments, storage, transportation and other extrinsic factors. This study shows that microbial contamination of poultry feed still constitute one of the problems affecting poultry production. Therefore, aseptic handlings, proper sanitation procedures during processing of commercial poultry feed, storage, transportation etc should be ensured.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0     Introduction

Poultry feed can serve as a carrier for a range of microbial contaminants such as moulds, mycotoxins and bacteria (Maciorowki et al., 2007). It is derived from grains such as maize, barley, wheat, soybean, peanuts, bone meal and offal (Rosa et al., 2005; Davis and Wales, 2010). Poultry feed ingredients of both plant and animal origin are often contaminated with microorganisms, mostly bacteria and fungi and or insects which are of various types depending on the composition of the feedstuff material, its origin, climatic conditions encountered during harvesting, processing, storage, transport technologies employed and packaging  materials (D’Mello, 2006).

Animal feeds are usually not subjected to the same stringent microbiological criteria and standards as the food consumed by humans. The use of poor quality ingredients has led to the production of poor quality feeds. The goal of the feed manufacturer is to supply the animals with feeds whose nutrients can be used by the animal when made available in a suitable form to its cells, organs and tissues. In performing this, the feed manufacturer is expected to be guided by the principles of least cost production of the livestock feeds, and the production of quality products per unit of feed consumed at the least possible cost. Feed manufacture is a regulated business in the livestock industry to ensure the nutritional well being of the different livestock species, without which they will be out of business (Atteh, 2002). Animal feed has been shown to be contaminated with a number of microorganisms especially Salmonella serotypes. The sources of contamination include the production animals and humans, processing plant and feed mills (Hald et al., 2006). Thus, the need to assess the quality of some feeds used in our locality.

 1.2     Aim and Objective

The aim of this research is to isolate, identify and characterized, contamination of poultry feed.

1.3     Scope and Limitation

The scope of the study is to determine the safety quality (microbial quality) of poultry feed.

1.4     Significant of the Study

Due to frequent health issues like coli from poultry feed there is a need to access its microbiology quality for safety.

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