E-ISSN 2223-0343


Qualities of poultry feeds produced by local small-scale feed mills in Ekiti State, Nigeria: A public health and feed safety study

1*David, O.M. and 2Ogunlade, J.T.

1Departments of Microbiology, and 2Animal Production, Ekiti State University, PMB 5363, Ado-Ekiti (360101) Nigeria

 
Abstract

Poultry feed has been reported to be of potential risk to the animals consuming it and also to man. In the recent time, there is an increase production of food animals and this consequently informed the rise in the production of feeds. The quality of feeds produced by local small scale feed mills in Ekiti State, Nigeria was investigated using standard microbiological and chemical methods. The total bacterial counts of the ten locally produced poultry feed samples ranged between 7.58 X 105 and 6.36 x 106 CFU/g. Bacterial count on Bile aesculin agar was lower than counts on both MacConkey and Salmonella-Shigella agars. The quantitative enumeration of fungal load showed that Growers mash (FDM) had the highest amount of fungal propagules followed by Grower mash (AMF). Five genera of fungi were isolated from the feeds comprising Aspergillus (3), Abscidia (1), Fusarium (1), Penicillium (3) and Rhizopus (1). At least one mycotoxigenic strain was isolated from all the feeds. In this study the values of the bacteria and mould in the feeds were below the maximum allowable loads. Out of the nine fungal species isolated Aspergillus flavus had the highest relative density of 70% and isolation frequency of 20.59%. The occurrence of aflatoxin B1 was highest in all the feed screened while aflatoxin G2 was not detected in any of the ten feeds screened. The level of all the heavy metals in the samples was within the tolerable levels for poultry. The microbiological and heavy metal qualities of poultry feeds from small scale poultry mills was within the international standard while aflatoxin levels in some of the feeds were above the maximum allowable levels.

Keywords: Poultry; Feeds; aflatoxin; contaminants; pathogens; heavy metals
 
To cite this article: David OM and JT Ogunlade, 2013. Qualities of poultry feeds produced by local small-scale feed mills in Ekiti State, Nigeria: A public health and feed safety study. Res. Opin. Anim. Vet. Sci., 3(9), 297-302.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Home  |  Archive  |  Instructions  |  Submission  |  Editorial Board  |  Sample Paper

All rights reserved © roavs.com