For farmers who want to increase their livestock production, especially
cattle, it is not enough just to provide grass feed. Healthy and fat
cows need other intakes that can meet their needs for fat, protein and
fiber.
One of the alternative feed raw materials, which can be
used by cattle farmers, especially for fattening cattle, is oil palm
cake. In addition to being abundant and continuous. Palm oil waste is
also cheap and does not compete with human needs.
According to
research, palm kernel cake or palm kernel expeller or meal has a higher
nutritional value than other wastes with a crude protein content of 15%
and crude energy of 4,230 kcal/kg, so it can be used as concentrate feed
by adding other feed ingredients. However, PKE cannot be given singly
as animal feed because PKE has anti-nutrients that can cause diarrhea in
livestock. Good quality PKE can be used in cow concentrate up to 30%.
In
presenting PKE as animal feed, it is also necessary to pay attention to
the content of palm shells in PKE. Feed from PKE is of good quality,
minimal from other additives, including palm shells that can be eaten by
cows.
