Effect of stocking density on litter microbial load in broiler chickens.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the microbial load of the litter in broiler houses with different stocking densities. From the 35 to 42 days, forty poultry houses with wood shavings litter were selected at random and litter drag swap samples were collected. The houses were allocated into two groups according to the stocking density. Group I involved 10-13 birds/m 2 and group II involved 14-17 birds/m 2 . Mortality figures were recorded for group comparisons. Twenty litter samples from each house were collected throughout the house. Samples were transported in cold chain to the laboratory for analysis. Following the incubations, standard plate counting techniques was used for aerobic, anaerobic, coliform, clostridium, salmonella and mold and yeast counts. Comparative results for Group I and II were 4.5x10 8 and 4.9x10 8 for PCA, 1.5x10 4 and 1.2x10 4 for E. coli, 3.1x10 6 and 2.4x10 6 for Coliform, 3.1x10 6 and 3.2x10 6 for Clostridium, 0.9x10 5 and 1.3x10 5 for Mold and Yeast, 7.5x10 5 and 7.1x10 5 Staphylococci and 3.1 x10 4 and 3.3 x10 4 for Salmonella. Results show that the stocking density had no significant effect on microbial count in any of the litter samples and it can be concluded that stocking density changing from 10 to 17 birds/m 2 did not affect microbial loads of the broiler litters.