MICROBIAL CONTAMINANTS ASSOCIATED WITH COMMERCIAL POULTRY FEEDS IN IBADAN METROPOLIS.

ABSTRACT Poultry farming refers to the domestication of birds such as chicken, ducks, quails, turkey, and geese with the intent of rearing them for meat, egg production as well as using their incidental products. The aim of the study was to determine the microbial contaminant associated with commercial poultry feeds in Ibadan metropolis, Nigeria. A total of six (6) feed samples were purchased from six (6) poultry stores in Ibadan metropolis for microbial investigation in the laboratory using standard microbiological techniques. The results clearly show bacteria count ranging from 1.38±0.19 to 6.06±2.29 and fungi ranging from 3.03±1.39 to 6.97±3.67, isolate from these feeds include Neisseria spp, Pseudomonas spp, Lactobacillus spp, Bacillus spp, Moraxella spp, Serratia spp, Acinetobacter spp and Staphylococcus spp, Aspergillus spp, Fusarium spp and Penicillium spp. It is also worth noting that Bacillus species has the highest frequency of occurrence while Neisseria, Pseudomonas, Lactobacillus and Moraxella spp have the lowest frequency of occurrence in terms of susceptibility pattern of the various isolates to antibiotics used in this study. Poultry feeds sold in Ibadan metropolis had microbial contaminants hence, incorporation of antibiotics into poultry feeds and in the management program of poultry farming is recommended. Also, the hygienic production of poultry feed is of public health concern, therefore, the control of bacterial infections should be approached through cleanliness, disinfection, proper treatment of feed ingredients and application of hygienic measures starting from harvesting of feed ingredients to storage, processing of feeds, packaging, transporting and eventual marketing of the bagged feeds.