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This paper sets out to investigate the biotypes of Campylobacter jejuni and C. coli and the serotypes of C. jejuni present in broilers from selected small retail processors in six counties in Trinidad.

Samples were plated on blood‐free Campylobacter CCDA, incubated at 42°C in 8‐10 per cent CO₂ in a CO₂ incubator and isolates were biotyped using the Lior scheme and serotyped using 25 Penner heat‐stable antisera by the passive hemagglutination method.

Amongst the 743 C. jejuni isolates biotyped, 85.3 per cent and 14.7 per cent belonged to biotype I and II respectively compared with C. coli isolates where 84.3 per cent were grouped as biotype I and 15.7 per cent were biotype II amongst a total of 681 isolates. The difference in frequency of both biotypes amongst C. jejuni and C. coli was statistically significant (p<0.05; χ²). Of the 52 isolates of C. jejuni, 48 (92.3 per cent) were typable. The predominant serotype Penner HS O:31 accounted for 19.2 per cent of the isolates tested, while Penner HS O:2, the predominant serotype recovered from clinical cases world‐wide, accounted for 5.8 per cent. Originality/value – The biotypes detected in Campylobacter isolates from chickens are similar with those earlier isolated from other livestock in Trinidad. However, this is the first documentation of serotypes of C. jejuni in this country. Serotypes O:31 and O:2 have been isolated from clinical cases world‐wide and may have clinical implications in Trinidad. It is, however, pertinent to mention that until C. jejuni is routinely serotyped and reporting of human clinical cases of campylobacteriosis in the country is improved, the clinical significance of C. jejuni serotypes cannot be fully appreciated.