Improving Livestock Quality, IPB University KKNT Innovation Students Make Silage Feed and Mineral Blocks

IPB University students who are members of the Thematic Real Work Lecture (KKNT) Innovation team held a ‘Balepanjang Enak Beternak’ program at the Balepanjang Village office, Jatipurno District, Wonogiri Regency, Central Java. The event was attended by various farmer groups (Poktan) in Balepanjang Village, namely Poktan Karya Tani, Poktan Rahayuning Tani, Poktan Mitra Tani, Poktan Lestari Mulyo, and Poktan Sari Wono.

Previously, the KKNT Innovation IPB University team had conducted environmental observations by traveling around the village. The students found that the majority of Balepanjang Village residents own livestock.

“Some people complained about the difficulty of finding animal feed during the dry season. Based on the observation results, we designed the Balepanjang Enak Beternak program in the form of innovative animal feed processing techniques by making silage and mineral blocks to answer people’s concerns,” said Nurul Azmi, one of the KKNT Innovation students.

Selphie Rahmatantri, a student of the Faculty of Animal Science of IPB University, presented material on making silage and mineral block animal feed. This material includes the functions and benefits of both types of feed, the tools and materials needed, how to make, and indicators of the success of making the feed. 

“Processing animal feed such as silage and mineral blocks is very important to improve the quality of community livestock,” Selphie said in her presentation.

She said mineral blocks are designed to prevent mineral deficiencies in livestock, while silage serves as a feed solution when forage is difficult to find during the dry season. 

“By using mineral blocks, farmers can ensure their livestock get essential mineral needs for health and productivity, while silage helps provide feed when access to forage is limited,” Selphie said.

Selphie continued, during the demonstration session, several participants were enthusiastic and actively participated in helping with the manufacturing process, showing their interest in the techniques demonstrated.

“The Balepanjang Enak Beternak program is expected to help farmers to further optimize their livestock business through the application of more innovative animal feed processing,” she concluded. (*/Lp/Rz) (IAAS/Ard)