Isolation and identification of Aspergillus species from poultry feeds in Kaduna State, Nigeria

Abstract

The majority of grain farmers reside in the northern part of Nigeria where storage facilities used are traditional types or locked up stores without proper ventilation. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of Aspergillus species in selected poultry feeds. A total of 180 samples of different feed types (20 broiler starter, 20 broiler super starter, 10 broiler finisher, 50 grower’s (chick) mash, 80 layer finisher) were cultured for fungal isolates. In this investigation, Rose Bengal Chloramphenicol agar was used to culture the isolates. The growths were identified using standard mycological techniques. Of the 180 feed samples cultured, 178 (98.9%) yielded a variety of mould such as A. fumigatus 134 (75.1%), A. parasiticus 64 (35.56%), A. flavus 36 (20%), A. niger 5 (3%), A. terreus 3 (1.7 %). From the results obtained, all the feed samples were contaminated with a number of fungal species. There was no significant (p > 0.05) difference in aflatoxin concentration in feeds in the four LGAs in Kaduna metropolis. Conclusively, five different species of Aspergillus were isolated and identified from poultry feeds sampled in Kaduna metropolis.

Keywords: Fungi, chicken, feed millers, grains, toxin binders.