The main problem in providing ruminant feed is not fulfilling the amount and adequacy of nutritional value. One of the problems is the availability of feed throughout the year. In the rainy season, feed production, especially for forage, is high. There is a shortage in the dry season. In addition, feed ingredients generally come from agricultural waste, which contains low protein and high fiber nutrients. The content of crude fiber mostly comes from the cellulose lignin component, so that it is difficult to digest. That is why efforts are needed to be taken. One of the ways of preservation is through haylage processing.
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Reviewing Haylage And Silage: How They Differ
Well, talking about haylage is always related to silage. These two processes are mainly done for feed preservation. The purpose of these processes is to preserve and reduce nutrient loss of forage for future use, such as during a critical time of feed. Silage is defined as a preserved product feed from forage, agricultural by-products, and agroindustry with high water content. We make it through a process (fermentation). The process needs lactic acid bacteria under acidic and anaerobic conditions in one place.
Haylage is an advanced process of hay to be used as silage. The principle of making it is the same as making silage through a fermentation process. It is usually done under anaerobic conditions. Then, it is stored in a silo. The differences are related to the raw material. Haylage is made from dry forage (hay), while silage is made from fresh forage.
The purpose is to preserve feed ingredients and minimize the loss of nutrient content in the feed. In addition, the manufacture of haylage also aims to increase palatability because hay has low palatability and to utilize agricultural waste whose conditions have dried up to be liked by livestock.
Haylage’s Process And Materials
The haylage process starts from the preproduction. Before going to the process, several things need to be prepared. Its purpose is to produce haylage, which means you need hay, a starter, and water. While the equipment should be on the list. We will need a measurement, bucket, drum as a silo for fermentation place, and gloves. The following is an example of the process of making haylage:
- Prepare forage (dried hay) and plastic-coated silo.
- Spread the hay on the floor.
- Sprinkle the starter on the hay evenly to speed up the fermentation process.
- Add water until the wetness level of the hay is suitable for fermentation.
- Put the hay and starter mixture into the silo little by little and.
- Compact them so that the air inside comes out.
- Tie the plastic neatly, tightly, and never let it leak; cover the silo using the lid tightly.
- Leave the mixture for 3-4 weeks so that the fermentation process takes place perfectly.
Then, some derivations decide the quality of resulted haylage. The quality is influenced by the raw material of haylage, type of silo, preservatives, and other factors, including withering, mechanical treatment, post-harvest treatment of forage, plant structure, and protein content. Good haylage has characteristics. They should be in sour smell, not moldy, not slimy, varied from brown to green, and textured.
Conclusion
In making the haylage, a long process is needed. But that is worth doing since many advantages will be gotten. This effort essentially will be very useful in storing the feed. In its practice, the haylage may be similar to silage. Several differences are revealed, including the raw material used.
All breeders want their livestock to be healthy. Well-nourished livestock will also influence the quality of the livestock themselves. Good nutrition must be supported by reliable care. Things needed for growth like feed can’t be careless in choosing. Choosing a great feed provider as your partner is the main thing. Because there have been many factories popping up, of course, this makes you confused. Once you search for information on the internet, there will be many suggestions.
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