ABSTRACT

The effects of fertilizing fish ponds with chicken droppings on the microbial load was analyzed. Six earthen ponds were used for this experiment. Three received chicken droppings at the rate of 50g/m2. The other three received no treatment and served as the control. The ponds were stocked with Dutch Claris fingerlings at the rate of 5 fishes/rn2. Mosquito net was used to fence these ponds so as to prevent frogs from preying on the fingerlings. The treatment (fertilization) was done once throughout the period of the experiment which lasted for six weeks. Subsamples of the pond water, pond soil and the 'washings' from the fish skin were analyzed weekly microbiologically. Other parameters taken weekly were dissolved oxygen (D.0), the alkalinity and acidity level (pH), Temperature (°C) and transparency level. The results showed that the microbial load of the fertilized ponds increased more than the unfertilized ponds. The mean of dissolved oxygen in the fertilized ponds (7.7mg/I) were low when compared to the mean of unfertilized pond (8.1mg/I). The mean of transparency of the 0 fertilized ponds 11.7cm were lower than the unfertilized ponds (13.2cm). There was no significant difference (P>O.05) in the microbial load of the fertilized and unfertilized ponds. The isolated organisms were E.coli Salmonella spp, Pseudomonas spp, Clostridium spp, Staphylococcus spp and Streptococcus spp.