Self-made of Dry Fermented Feeds For Pigs

The independence of pig farmers in East Sumba

Pig farmers in East Sumba under the coordination of the Stube HEMAT Multiplication Program in Sumba have high enthusiasm to explore the pig farming business. Not only learning the types of pigs, diseases, and vaccines but also learning about the feed. As a step of independence to fulfill feed and utilize local food ingredients around their homes, the farmers practiced to make dry fermented feed in two meetings (24/11/2021) and (4/12/2021). The activities took place in two places followed by twenty-six participants. Apriyanto Hangga, the Multiplicator of HEMAT Multiplicator in Sumba worked as a resource person and trainer. The participants who are also pig farmers learned to make alternative feeds from local ingredients. This breakthrough emerged as a response to the increase of animal feed price in the market and as a form of independence.

This is a positive step beside the independence, the use of fermented feed has several advantages, including : 1) the ingredients are easily found in the house yards;  2) it is easy to make, 3) it’s nutritious, and 4) it brings less odor in livestock manure.

Some of the materials needed to manufacture fermented feed for pigs are rice dregs, banana tree trunks, tofu dregs or coconut cake dregs, green leaves, EM4, sugar, and water. The tools used include machetes and knives, buckets, jars (small drums), and clear plastic.

The process is as follows: 1) 10 kg of banana stems and 10 kg of green leaves are sliced ​​or finely chopped; 2) 8 tablespoons of sugar and 10 doses of EM4 dissolved in 2.5 liters of water; 3) banana stems and green leaves are mixed with 5 kg of rice dregs, and 5 kg of tofu dregs and stirred evenly; 4) after the dough is mixed well, add the EM4 solution and sugar by sprinkling evenly over the entire surface of the dough; 5) then stir the dough again until the EM4 solution and sugar are well distributed; 6) Put all the dough into a container and compact it until there are no air voids so that the microbes can live; and  7) tightly cover the container and insulate it to avoid air circulation. Then let it for approximately 2x24 hours to 3x24 hours for the fermentation process. The ingredients can be assessed to the material availability and applied in multiples.

The farmers are directly involved in the process from chopping the banana stems and leaves, dissolving the fermentation starter into the water, and compacting the feed dough. From this practice, they admitted that making fermented feed was not as difficult as they previously thought. The ingredients were easy to find around their homes. Hopefully, through self-made feed, the cost to raise pigs can be reduced and sales results can increase. ***