ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to isolate some of the possible species of microorganisms present in cow and goat rumen fluid samples. A total often (10) samples were obtained from the cow and goat rumen fluid. 5 bacterial species and 3 fungal species were isolated. These isolates comprised of Streptococcus sp, Bacillus sp, Escherichia coil, Pseudomonas sp, Salmonella sp, Aspergillus sp, Actinomyces spp, Mucor spp and Candida spp. It was observed that Aspergillus spp, Streptococcus spp and Escherichia coil are the most frequently occurring isolate from the cow rumen fluid with the highest percentage from occurrence of (16.6%), followed by Actinomyces sp, Mucor sp and Bacillus sp (11.1%), then Pseudomonas sp, Salmonella sp and Candida sp (5.6%), whereas it was observed that Aspergillus sp is the most frequently occurring isolate from goat rumen fluid with the highest percentage occurrence of (23.5%), followed by Streptococcus sp (17.6%), then Bacillus sp, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas sp (11.8%) and Salmonella sp, Actinomyces sp, Mucor sp and Candida sp (5.9%). The total viable microbial count of cow and goat rumen fluid samples ranges from 1.2x106cful ml to 3.7 x106cful ml. Total Coliform Count (TCC) ranges from 1 .9x1 6 cfu!ml to 3 .3x 106 cfu/ml, Total Heterotrophic Count (THC) ranges from 1 .3x106cfulml to 3.7x 106 cfu/ml, Total Fungal Count (TFC) ranges from 1.2x 106 cfu/ml to 3.2x106 cfu/ml. From the result of this study, it can be concluded that cow and goat rumen harbors so many microorganisms due to the high occurrence and distribution of microorganisms comprising of Streptococcus sp, Bacillus sp, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas sp, Salmonella sp, Aspergillus sp, Actinomyces sp, Mucor sp, and Candida sp, from cow and goat rumen fluid. Statistical analysis showed that there were significant differences in mean count of the cow and goat rumen fluid samples at P 0.05.