When the price of feed raw materials increases significantly, coupled with the declining price of eggs and meat will result in many farmers suffered losses. Production costs have increased while the selling price of livestock products decreased. Farmers finally have to find a solution so that their business can survive. Starting from the chicken mengafkir unproductive and unprofitable, to reduce the cost of rations issued.
The cost of rations can be reduced in several ways. First, reduce the amount of ration. This certainly needs to be done carefully. Do not let a decrease in the ration of this provision reduce egg production. Do it on chickens that have passed the peak of production, where the nutritional needs are lower than the peak of production. Secondly, use cheaper alternatives to raw materials.
Use Of Alternative Raw Materials
Corn is an energy source raw material. Use in the ration of laying hens and broilers is very dominant, reaching 55%. Corn prices skyrocketed making rations change in price, and this burdensome farmers.
Alternative raw materials for corn substitutes that can be obtained in Indonesia include rice Groats, wheat, wheat pollard, crude palm oil (CPO), leftover noodles, leftover bread and cassava (cassava). Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) and corn gluten meal (CGM)is also an alternative raw material for corn.
Fish meal, coconut cake, whole soybeans are also alternative raw materials that can be used to replace soybean meal, meat bone meal and concentrate. This raw material is a protein source raw material.
The use of alternative raw materials is usually not able to replace the whole of the main raw materials. The use of rice Groats can not replace 100% the use of corn. This alternative raw material replaces part of the main raw material. This is due to several factors, including limited availability, antinutritional factors and quality stability.
Tips For Using Alternative Raw Materials
The use of alternative raw materials is a good solution to overcome the problem of increasingly expensive raw materials. Farmers should start to look for alternative raw materials around the farm. Optimizing local potential so that it can support the sustainability of the farm. There are some tips that we need to pay attention to when using alternative raw materials, namely:
- Find out details regarding alternative raw materials to be used
Information related to alternative raw materials to be used should be made as detailed as possible. In addition to the physical characteristics of the skin, the skin is also characterized by its color, texture, smell, taste, and nutritional content (from the literature data to laboratory testing);MediLab)), availability, production capacity (stock) to the price. The more information obtained, the better it will be used.
Usually for the initial use of this alternative raw material that is often problematic is the continuity of availability and quality stability. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure to supplier amount of production per month. With this data, the use in ration formulations can be adjusted. Hope after use, the supplier will add or search for this raw material. Given that there is already a continuous demand. Related to quality, it is necessary if testing in MediLab to detect the content of nutrients in raw materials.
2. Optimization formulation (must be balanced)
Ration formulation can be done in a quick time. Moreover, there are already software especially for ration formulations, such as Brill and Winfeed. Optimization of this formulation is done by considering the nutritional content and price. The purpose of using this alternative raw material is to reduce prices. Therefore, the price of rations per kg should be more efficient. On the other hand, the nutritional content of the ration must be able to meet the needs of chicken production.
The Formulator will optimize the formulation by taking into account the needs of macronutrients, such as metabolic energy, protein, fat, ash to the adequacy of micronutrients, such as vitamins, amino acids and trace mineral (micro minerals). Understanding and complete alternative raw material content data will be very helpful in the optimization process of this formulation. Usually use feed supplement, such as Endomix will increase when the use of alternative raw materials. This aims to meet the range of differences in the content of micronutrients in the ration.
3. Use It Gradually
Alternative raw materials can be used with a level of 2% at the beginning of Use and gradually increased to the maximum limit of use. This is a way to adapt the chicken. Chicken can recognize the existence of new raw materials so that no effect on feed intake. This gradual administration also gives the chicken's digestive tract time to make adjustments. Often if the use of this alternative raw material is directly given in large quantities, chickens will experience digestive disorders, ranging from wet stools to diarrhea.
This gradual use will also provide time for farmers to observe changes in chicken response and chicken productivity. And for the formulator can reevaluate the maximum limit of the use of raw materials.
4. Give it first to the old hen (after the tops)
Choose chickens with the lowest level of productivity from the reared chicken population. For example, choose a chicken that is old (>70 weeks). Whether it's chicken grower it is given in Phase grower II (above 12 weeks). This is done to reduce the risk of falling production. Usually chickens with a high level of productivity are more sensitive to changes in ration.
Chickens that have problems with the gastrointestinal tract should also not be given alternative raw materials. We first overcome the problems of the gastrointestinal tract, only after normal can be given alternative raw materials.
5. Combining several alternatives of raw materials
Sometimes after we use alternative raw materials, will appear some kind of alternative raw materials. Usually we will be interested and moreover the price is Cheaper. If we are faced with this condition, then several alternatives to these raw materials can be used simultaneously. But what needs to be considered is that the level of use is lowered first. It aims to anticipate the antinutritional effects that may be contained in alternative raw materials.
6. Continue to monitor and re-evaluate
This 6th tip is the last and most crucial tip to do. Continue to monitor and reevaluate until a safe level of use is obtained that further optimizes productivity and more efficient maintenance costs. Remember the most important of the use of alternative raw materials is not going to reduce productivity with increasingly efficient ration prices.
The parameters of monitoring and evaluation of the use of alternative raw materials include physical condition (color, smell, texture and taste), nutrient content, chicken response (feed intake), and the main thing is the productivity of chickens, such as weight, egg production (hen day), egg weight and egg quality. Do regular monitoring, and compare between before and after the use of alternative raw materials.
Indonesia is an agricultural country as well as an archipelagic country. The potential of feed raw materials in Indonesia is very much. Both vegetable raw materials, from plants and animal raw materials, from animals and Fisheries. It's time, we do the search for alternative raw materials available around the farm. Good luck and hopefully useful. Greetings.
