How can a sustainable feed management system work?
The implementation of this sustainable feed
management system is pursued through;
- Sustainable forage production through cultivation of superior grass in accordance with the potential of the local area through a three strata system, intercropping, hedges and terrace strengthening plants.
- Optimizing the potential utilization of local feed and agricultural waste
- Application of feed processing and preservation technology to optimize the utilization of local feed potential and agricultural/plantation waste and to ensure continuous feed availability. The applied feed processing and preservation technology includes, among others; chopping, hay, silage, fermented feed, Multinutien block.
- The chopping process aims to reduce the particle size and soften the texture so that livestock consumption is more efficient. Enumeration was carried out on fiber feed sources that had a hard texture and were large in size, such as rice straw, corn straw, bean straw, palm fronds, local grass, elephant grass and other large feed ingredients. The enumeration process is carried out mechanically using a chopping machine in the form of a chopper or shreder or manually using a machete or other chopping tool.
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| Feed Management |
Making hay and silage aims to preserve
forage forage as feed reserves during famine. The principle of making hay is to
reduce the water content of the forage gradually but rapidly until the dry
matter content is 80-85%, but the material remains green and not musty. Silage
is animal feed that still has high water content as a result of preservation
through a fermentation process assisted by microorganisms under anaerobic
conditions. The main purpose of making silage is to preserve and reduce the
loss of nutrients from a forage for future use.
Fermentation is one of the efforts to
increase the benefits of high fiber forage by increasing its digestibility
value through biological processing using microorganisms. Through the
fermentation process there will be an overhaul of animal feed ingredients from
hard structures physically, chemically and biologically from complex structures
to simple ones, so that livestock digestibility becomes more efficient. The
principle of fermentation is the use of microbial colonies to help decompose
the structure of feed tissue that is difficult to decompose.
Urea Multinutrient Molasses Block is a supplementary feed in the form of solids composed of nutrient-rich ingredients and forms a balanced nutritional composition (carbohydrates, amino acids, protein, energy, vitamins and minerals) so that it is beneficial for livestock to supplement the nutrients needed by livestock. body to produce optimally. This technology is one strategy to increase animal feed consumption because it is composed of a combination of nutritional ingredients that can efficiently support growth, development and microbial activity in the rumen.
Feed Storage and Presentation Techniques
In order for feed to be safe for a certain
period of time with an adequate amount of supply, a good storage process is
needed in the feed warehouse. Feed storage techniques greatly determine the
quality of the nutrients contained in the feed, whether the storage process is
able to maintain nutritional quality or even decrease due to contamination with
microorganisms. Storage of processed or preserved feed is carried out to
maintain continuity of supply and create a buffer stock during feed famine.
Implications of Using Technology
The implementation of technological
innovations applied in the field has shown satisfactory performance, this can
be seen from population development, production, reproductive performance and
business efficiency. The results of field observations show that the
productivity performance of cows that apply the introduced technology
components is very good, even though with a limited workforce this group can
maintain 12-25 cows for 1 worker.
Through the implementation of technology
applied in the field, it is able to increase the average daily body weight gain
from 0.15kg/head/day to 0.25kg/head/day. Likewise with the components of
reproductive performance such as calving distance, pregnancy rate, birth weight
which increased significantly, pregnancy rate increased from 60% to 80% and
birth weight increased from 9.5kg to 12.5kg. The service per conception rate as
an indicator of success in marriage can be reduced from 2.4 to 1.3, which
indicates that the mating system by placing the parent and male in one cage is
very effective in increasing s/c, as well as the maternal pregnancy rate.
Another indicator that is quite significant in its development is the average
body condition score which increased sharply from 1.75 to 3 on a scale of five.
This increase was not only due to the effect of improved feed but also due to
the change of broodstock with a lower body condition score with a better one
through the selection and replacement process. This improvement in body
condition scores is expected to increase the calf's birth weight. Although in
general this productivity performance has increased, it has not been able to
reach the standard number required in Bali cattle breeding, because indeed at
the previous activity location the productivity of Bali cattle was far below
the average.
The implementation of forage processing and preservation technology has been able to streamline the use of forage in the business location, especially feed ingredients that are hard and difficult to digest, both from agricultural waste and local grass. The efficiency of utilizing local feed potential through the implementation of forage preservation and processing technology is greatly felt by farmers who raise livestock in large numbers and have limited labor, especially in the dry season.
The implementation of the enumeration
technology has had a positive impact on the provision of basal feed for cattle,
because farmers have many alternatives in choosing feed sources of fiber and do
not only depend on grass and fresh forage. Through the application of this
technology, almost all types of fiber-sourced feed can be processed and used as
cattle feed so that the availability of fiber-sourced feed can be optimized.
The application of this technology was relatively successful and received a
very good response from the community with a percentage of adopters of around
75%.
Feed
processing and storage with the hay system applied at the study site has been
able to optimize the potential utilization of local feed and agricultural waste
as animal feed and ensure the continuity of feed availability throughout the
year. This technology has received a very good response from members and has
been implemented by >65% of the members, besides that this technology has
also been adopted by other groups around the activity location. The adoption of
this technology is relatively faster because the benefits are felt by farmers
and it is easy to apply and does not require large tools and costs. The
application of feed processing and preservation technology with silage has a
better impact on the performance of cattle because in the ensilage process
there is an overhaul and an increase in the nutritional value and digestibility
of feed ingredients, but the adoption of this technology is relatively slow
compared to hay, because the application of this technology requires materials
and tools and equipment. more difficult manufacturing process. This silage
technology has been adopted by about 55% of group members and several other
groups around the activity location.
The application of fermentation technology
has not shown optimal performance because farmers prefer simple and inexpensive
technology such as hay, however, some members who have felt the benefits have
responded to this technology because fermented feed is preferred by livestock.
Urea Multinutrient Molasses Block technology as an alternative to feed
supplementation is highly favored by livestock and is a mainstay for breeders
because it can increase cattle appetite and feed efficiency. UMMB technology
has been applied by most of the group members and other farmer groups in Maliku
District.
The
application of feed processing and preservation technology carried out by
members of the Suka Maju farmer group has been able to ensure the continuous
availability of forage, especially in preparation for the famine season.
Through the application of this technology, it can save up to 40% of the use of
labor, especially for looking for forage, and provide opportunities for farmers
to raise relatively large numbers of cattle (>6 heads) which were previously
only <4 heads/person.
Feed storage techniques make it possible to
store feed in dry form and processed feed for a long time (6-12 months), so
that the availability of feed, especially forage, can always be met. By
planning the provision of adequate feed in quantity and quality throughout the
year, the effectiveness and efficiency of production costs for livestock
business can be achieved (Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health,
2012). Through this system, farmers can calculate the supply-demand (demand and
supply) of feed needs and anticipate the availability of feed in times of
famine and poor feed quality. The presentation of feed in the feed bank allows
cattle to obtain forage continuously so as to save the use of labor in feeding.