Effectiveness of the Anaerobic Haylage Method for Flax Waste Utilization in the Diet of Friesian Holstein Cows

Abstract

The haylage dry feed fermentation method is one of the methods of preserving grass feed, dried herbs, or dry agricultural waste for animal feed. This study aims to determine the quality of hemp flakes waste that has been dried for 6 months and has a water content of <3% using the Haylage method. The research parameters include physical quality, pH, temperature and palatability which were tested on 5 Friesian Holstein cows. The method used was an experiment using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) consisting of 6 treatments based on differences in the concentration of hemp flakes and bran waste. The data obtained were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and continued with Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT). The study was conducted in July-September 2023. The results showed that the physical quality (color, aroma, mold and mucus) of haylage stored for 4 weeks in treatments 1-5 showed better results compared to the control treatment, its fermentation properties were still stable with a pH of 4.88-5.00 and a temperature of 27-28⁰C, so it can last for 2 years if stored properly. This can be seen at the level of livestock palatability> 50%. The best haylage formulation was in treatment 4 (25% hemp flake waste + 75% bran + 15% molasses + 15% probiotics).