Doable Technology - Compacted Feed Block for Livestock

Compacted Feed Block for Livestock

Green forages available during winter season in the form of tree leaves and grasses are limited in quantity
A large portion both of crop by-products and green forages are lost in the form of residues
Available feed ingredients are often deficient in nutrients

Objectives

To reduces wastage of feeds in the form of residues
To improve the nutritive value of the ration by incorporation of deficient nutrients

Materials required

Chaff cutter
Feed block making machine
Bentonite (binding agent)
Crop residues (paddy, wheat, millet straws, maize, sorghum stovers, etc)
Washed and dried fodder residues refused by animals
Crushed maize
Mustard cake
Mineral mixture, etc.

Method

Crop residues / washed and dried fodder resides refused by animals are chaffed to 4 – 5 cm in length or less.
Ingredients taken (g/kg):

Crop by-product / dried forage residue    – 740
Crushed maize                                          - 100
Mustard cake                                            - 100
Bentonite                                                  - 50
Mineral mixture                                         - 6
Common salt                                             - 4

Mixed
Suitable quantity (4 – 5 kg) of feed mixture is taken.
Moistened with water and fed into the machine
Compressed by hydraulic jack.
Dried in the sun
Stored until it is fed to the animals

User-friendly Small Scale Silage Making

Silage is a preserved feed prepared from green forage that is fermented in absence of air and fed to cattle, buffalo, sheep, etc.
Silage can be made in the NEH Region during rainy season when the forage is abundant. It can be used during winter season when feed scarcity is very high.
In general silage making does not get popularity to small and marginal farmers because of high capital investment to construct silo-pits.
However, the method described here is cheaper and user – friendly.

Materials required

Chaff cutter, high-density polythene bag, rope, green grasses, tree leaves, crushed maize, crop residues like maize stover, millet stover, pulse straw, etc.

Ensiling Method

Green forage chopped into small pieces with chaff cutter of about 4 – 5 cm length is mixed with 3% crushed maize.
High moisture content forages such as jungle grasses, tree leaves should be mixed with low moisture content forages like crop residues, maize stover, millet stover, cowpea, pulse straw, etc.
The well-mixed materials are then filled into high-density polythene bags layer-by-layer, trampled by foot or any wooden thick stick to release air in between.
After complete filling the mouth of the bag is tied with rope and kept inverted on the ground.
Whole operation of harvesting of crop, chaffing, filling and sealing of bags, etc should be completed as early as possible on the same day.
Ensure the bag should not be torn off during filling or storage period.
Silage will be ready to feed the animals after 2-3 months.

Advantages of ensiling

As haymaking is difficult in North Eastern Hilly Region, silage making is an alternate method to preserve the excess forage biomass available, for use in the lean season (winter).
Ensure supply of feed during lean season.
Ensure a consistent level of production throughout the year.
Green forage can be stored for a long period (12-18 months).
Thick stems of mature forages become soft, more palatable and better utilized.
Acids produced during ensiling are easily utilized as a source of energy by the animals.

Many undesirable worms and their eggs present in the fresh crop are eliminated after ensiling