SILAGE: AN ALTERNATIVE SUPPLY OF FEED FORAGE

Silage

Forage both grasses and legumes are the main feed that is commonly given to cattle and other ruminant animals such as goats and sheep. The availability of forages is very fluctuating, generally in the rainy season the availability is high, while in the dry season the availability of forages is very limited. Lack of forage during the dry season can be done by giving a touch of technology to forage when there is abundant forage and making silage is one way to preserve forage.

Silage for the public may be unfamiliar but silage is well known for farmers. In developed countries, silage is a common feed given to ruminants and silage has been produced on a large scale. Silage is a forage feed that is produced through a fermentation process that is stored in silos with anaerobic conditions. Materials of silage that can be used such as forage or agricultural waste is preserved in fresh condition (with water content of 60-70%) through the fermentation process in silos. A silo is a storage place for silage. The main purpose of making silage is to maximize the preservation of nutrients contained in forages or other animal feed ingredients, so that they can be stored for a long period of time, and then given as animal feed.

Principles of Making Silage:

The principle of making silage is an effort to achieve and accelerate anaerobic condition in forming an acidic atmosphere in storage (lactic acid is formed). An anaerobic atmosphere, it is done by compaction of silage material (forage) when it is inserted into the silo by pressing and compressing silage materials then tightly closed. Anaerobic conditions can also be done using a vacuum device so that the air in the silo is as small as possible so that anaerobic conditions are created.

Materials and Equipment Required

Materials needed include grass as a source of forage, molasses / palm sugar / granulated sugar, rice bran, water, scales, black plastic bags as silos and tarpaulins as a base for mixing silage if needed.

Silage Making Process:

The process of making silage is not complicated. Fresh grass or agriculture waste must withered first to reduce water content. Grass is cut into a size of 2-5 cm and are sown on tarpaulin. Add rice bran and molasses by sprinkling rice bran and adding molasses layer by layer with a thickness of 10 cm, then mix until smooth. The mixture of grass, rice bran and molasses is then put into a black plastic bag (silo) and tightly bound and there is no air gap in the plastic bag. Furthermore, silos are stored in a shady area that is not exposed to the sun and fermented for 3 (three) weeks. Open the silage and aerate it for ± 1-2 hours (left in the open place) before giving it to the cattle.

Quality Advantage of Silage:

Good silage criteria such as: pH around 4, water content of 60-70%, fresh smell and not foul odor, green color is still clear, not slimy, and does not smell rancid butter. The advantages of making silage include: can increase the availability of feed especially when the quantity of forage is low, can be stored longer, increase the palatability and quality of forage / grass nutrition.

Feeding Technique

Silage can be given to animals by aerial silage first for ± 1-2 hours before being given to cattle. Cattle that have never consumed silage must be trained first so they are familiar with the new feed. The adaptation period of giving silage is done slowly (little by little) every day until the cattle consumed silage.