The Effects of Fermenters and Incubation Periods on the Chemical Composition of Mixtures of Rice Bran and Water Hyacinth Leaves Meals

Rice bran is a feed material that is commonly given to poultry, but the amount of its use is relatively low because of its high fiber content. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) leaf has a chemical composition similar to rice bran and its availability is abundant but its quality as feed material for poultry is also low because of the high content of the fiber. Some studies showed that fermentation could improve the nutrient content of feedstuffs. A study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of fermentation using two different cultures incubated for 0, 7, 14, and 21 days. The results showed that protein contents did not differ significantly between the two microbial cultures, but the mixture of rice bran and water hyacinth leaves fermented using a culture containing 5 types of microbes resulted in lower fiber content. The duration of incubation significantly affected both the fiber and protein content. It was concluded that the nutrient content of the mixture of rice bran and water hyacinth leaves could be improved by fermentation using a microbial mixture for 14 days.