Effects on Performance, Organic Digestibility and Some Blood Parameters of Use of Wafer in Local Calves Rations as Alternative Feed

Abstract

: Sub-sector of livestock has an important role in the life and development of human resources in Indonesia. An important issue on agribusiness beef cattle is a continuous population decline every year. The application of technology has to be initiated in order to obtain production efficiency and production cost efficiency. One of the factors that affect the productivity of livestock is feed. The major constraints of ruminant feed are low quality of forage, the low level of palatability and digestibility. To solve this problem is making forage waste into wafer feed supplement. The aim of this experiment was to determine the nutrient content on wafer feed supplement and productivity of local calf that were given by wafer feed supplement. This research was conducted at Laboratory of Feed Industry, Bogor Agricultural University and the performance test at Karya Anugrah Rumpin Corporation on March-April 2016. To determine the nutrient content of wafer feed supplements used proximate analysis. The experiment of productivity used 12 heads of male local calves (Sumba Ongol calves) with average body weight around 136±22.46 kg with ages around 12-18 months. The experimental local calves were maintained individually. The experimental design used randomized block design with four treatments and three replications. The treatments were feeding patterns of wafer feed supplement i.e., T1 = 0% by feeding wafer supplement+concentrate+king grass, T2 = 10% by feeding wafer supplement+concentrate+king grass, T3 = King grass+10% by feeding wafer supplement+concentrate, T4 = Concentrate+king grass+10% by feeding wafer supplement. The parameters measured were productivity of local calves, i.e., daily weight gain, final body weight, consumption, dry matter and organic matter digestibility, blood cholestrol, blood glucose, blood protein. It was concluded that feeding pattern wafer feed supplement can increase consumption and not influence condition of local calves. It was concluded that daily weight gain by feeding wafer supplement feed 42-45% higer than conventional feed. High crude protein of wafer feed supplement is good supplement for ruminant in the tropic.