Availability and Potential of Forage Production for Dairy Cattle in Ambopi Village, North Tongauna District, Konawe Regency

Abstract

The availability of forage feeds greatly determines the productivity of ruminants. This study aims to determine the availability and potential of forage production for dairy cows in Ambopi village North Tongauna District, Konawe District. The method used in this study was survey carried out by purposive sampling. Data were analysed using descriptive analysis. The variables observed in this study were forages, analysis of chemical composition i.e. dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), crude fiber (CF), extract ether (EE) and total digestible nutrient (TDN) and production and availability of grass. The results showed that there were 3 types of grass namely elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum), odot grass (Pennisetum purpureum cv Mott) and setaria grass (Setaria sphacelata). Average nutrient production of the three types of grass was 94.09 tons DM/ha/year, 13.19 tons CP/ha/year and 39.32 tons TDN/ha/year. It is concluded that the number of available forages has not been able to meet the needs of dairy cows because the number of dairy cows that can be accommodated is only 5 AU (Animal Unit) for 1 year in Ambopi Village.