Farmer's Response to Rumen Fill Transfer Technique

Abstract

Under controlled environment, rumen fill transfer shows to improve rumen fermentation, survival rate and daily liveweight gain of ruminants fed low quality diets but this should be tested under rural condition. Four villages were selected in
Lombok. Each village was represented by 15 mature Bali cows or the total of 60 cows belonged to 45 farmers. Appropriate combination of rumen fill suitable for rumen condition of Bali cows was selected by using the Balitnak Method developed by Winugroho et al (1993). The rumen fill was then sun—dried at 08.00 am to 14.00 pm for 4 days prior to be ground through aproximately l mm diameter screen. Approximately, I00 g dried and ground selected rumen fill was given to individual cows in the middle of dry season (November I993). In order to rejection, the rumen fill was mixed with fresh cassava tubers or banana trunks prior to offering. Although, some tree legumes and com stovers were supplemented but the diet was still rich in fibre content ie. typical feed during dry season. Fanuer's
response was taken in at the cnd of dry season or after about 3 months study period. Data were presented in fonu of percentages. Fresh bulfalo rumen fill from Bogor was best combined for rumen enviroiunent of Bali cows. The dried rumen fill was 3 weeks old kept in aerobic under room temperature before being brought to Lombok and given to the animals. According to the fanners, 75% of the transferred cows showed improved cow appetite, 60% of them had better body condition, 90% of the cows had smoother faecal output. Thirty percent of the farmers suggest that the smell of the dried rumen fill should be overcomed. However, all fanners were
willing to feed dried rumen fill for the next dry season.