Improving growth rate of Bali cattle grazing native pasture in the wet season by supplementing high quality forages

• Main Authors: Marthen L. Mullik, Bambang Permana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Pusat Penelitian dan Pengembangan Peternakan 2009-10-01
• Series: Jurnal Ilmu Ternak dan Veteriner
• Subjects: Grazing; Native Pasture; Wet Season; Bali Cattle; Supplement
• Online Access: http://medpub.litbang.pertanian.go.id/index.php/jitv/article/view/340/349
• ISSN: 0853-7380; 2252-696X

This grazing experiment aimed at assessing effects of providing high quality forage as supplements for Bali cattle grazing native pasture in the wet season. Twenty four Bali heifers with a mean live weight of 85.4±3.8 kg were allotted into four reatments. The treatments were (1) grazing only, (2) grazing + Gliricidia sepium leaf, (3) grazing + Acacia villosa leaf, and (4) grazing + Lannea grandis leaf. The heifers grazed together on a 25 ha Bothriochloa timorensis dominant pasture during the day (0700 h to 1700 h) in wet season, and supplements were provided at night. The supplements were given in accordance to achieve 30% refusal. Total intake was estimated by marker technique (Cr2O3). Live weight was recorded twice a month. Data were subjected to statistical analysis based on general linear model suited to a completely random design. The results showed that growth rate of Bali heifers grazing native pasture during wet season in Timor was low (35 g/d), and providing high quality forages as supplements at night significantly improved LWG by up 205%. Yet, the magnitude of LWG response varies according to type of forage, with the best result achieved by heifers given Gliricidia sepium leaf.