Feeding management of fattening Beef Bali cattle in Kupang Regency, West Timor, Indonesia

H E Tefa, M D S Randu, D R Tulle, A Aoetpah and E Wera

Department of Animal Husbandry, Kupang State Agricultural Polytechnic, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia (85011)
deddy_randu@yahoo.co.id

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate feed management techniques for fattening Balinese cattle (Bos sondaicus) in Ponain Village, Amarasi District, Kupang Regency, Indonesia. We conducted this research from August 2022 to October 2022. We used a purposive sampling technique to determine the research location, and a snowball sampling strategy was used to appropriately select 70 participants. We used a survey method, collecting data through structured interviews with a questionnaire guide. Variables observed included farmer characteristics, type and amount of feed ingredients, frequency and timing of feeding, and feeding techniques. Before presenting the results in percentage form, we conducted a comprehensive data analysis using descriptive and quantitative techniques. The results show that most farmers in this small-scale traditional Balinese cattle fattening system are males who are of productive age and have completed primary school. Farmers only provide forage as feed, with the amount adjusted to their ability and climatic conditions. Farmers feed the cattle twice a day, at 8am and 4pm, according to local schedules. Feeding options include placing the feed in the feed bins provided or placing it directly on the ground.

Keywords: farmer characteristics, forages, paronisasi, ponain

Introduction

The Beef Bali cattle (Bos sondaicus) is a domesticated livestock species found in Indonesia, namely in the East Nusa Tenggara Province (NTT), and well-adapted to the agro-climatic conditions of Kupang Regency. Rural farmers in Kupang Regency primarily rear Bali cattle. According to the 2022 report from the Central Bureau of Statistics of NTT Province, Kupang Regency has the highest population of beef cattle, totaling 301,915 individuals, which accounts for 24.17% of the total population in the province. Siregar (2012) contended that beef cattle serve as both meat producers and significant economic assets, supplying diverse human requirements such as milk, as well as other by-products including bones, hides, and dung. The main purpose of raising Bali beef cattle in this area is to generate meat.

Ponain is a rural settlement located in Amarasi District, Kupang Regency. Livestock producers, actively engaged in the breeding and fattening of Bali cattle, make up the majority of the area's inhabitants. The primary objective of producing Bali cattle is to augment the cattle population and supply young livestock to facilitate fattening endeavors. Farmers in Ponain Village use the term "paronisasi" to describe the process of fattening Bali cattle. Randu et al (2020) defined "paronisasi" as a vernacular expression employed by the Timorese to denote the method of rearing beef cattle via a feeding regimen that normally spans 12–15 months. Farmers supply feed and water to the tethered cattle during paronisasi, either in a pen or near the farmer's dwelling, for a designated duration. In this research, the phrase "paronisasi" refers to the process of fattening Bali cattle in Ponain village, specifically in the Kupang regency. These two names are used interchangeably.

Feeding management is an issue in the paronisasi system in Ponain Village. We gathered information on general practices in paronisasi prior to the present study. It revealed that farmers engage in traditional paronisasi practices by providing forage based on their capacity to do so, the availability of feedstuffs in the field, and a lack of knowledge about the appropriate type of feedstuff. Usually, farmers mix forage with dry grass (hay) in the dry season, but in the rainy season, they cannot completely use the plentiful feed supplies as a way to store feed for the whole year. The limited nutrient supply in this condition led to low cattle productivity and prolonged paronisasi duration, as it did not match the livestock's requirements.

Feeding management involves optimizing the use of different forms of feed to promote optimal growth and production in cattle. According to Haloho and Tarigan (2021), it is important to consider the types of feedstuffs offered, as well as the balance between forage and concentrate in feeding management. Furthermore, Sandi et al (2018) emphasize the importance of feeding management, including quantity, administration, and regularity, as a nutrient-rich diet and effective management techniques can significantly enhance cattle output (Heryanto et al 2016). This is because livestock productivity is extremely responsive to variations in the feedstuffs provided. Thus, there must be a sustainable availability of both high-quality and sufficient quantities of feedstuffs (Wahyuni and Amin 2020). Currently, knowledge is scarce regarding feeding management strategies in the paronisasi of Bali cattle in smallholder farms at Ponain Village. We conducted a study to investigate the implementation of feeding management in the paronisasi system of Bali cattle at the smallholder farm level.

Materials and methods

The research was conducted at Ponain Village, Amarasi Subdistrict, Kupang Regency, from August to October 2022. The selection of the village as a sample was done intentionally using purposive sampling, considering that Ponain Village is one of the areas in Amarasi Sub-district where Bali cattle paronisasi has long been run as an enterprise activity besides the village has supporting breeding facilities such as a health care center and livestock market place.

The population in this study are farmers of fattening Bali cattle at Ponain Village. 70 farmers were selected using a sampling technique by Snowball Sampling method. Sugiyono (2014) explained that snowball sampling is a sampling technique that starts with a small number and gradually increases until reaching saturation. The criteria for selecting farmers as samples were that they had been engaged in Balinese cattle paronisasi activities for at least 2 years, and their activities were ongoing during the research. A survey method was applied to collect data focusing on solving current and actual problems. A series of data collection activities were started from preparation of a questionnaire guidance followed by analysis, interpretation and conclusion. The collected data in the study included primary and secondary data. Primary data was obtained based on observation and structured interviews with fattening Bali cattle farmers. Secondary data was obtained from various relevant institutions/agencies, journals, and other research reports. Additionally, the amount of feed provided during the research was also measured. The analysis used in this study was quantitative descriptive, using average indicators and the percentage of respondents' answers.

Photo 1. Balinese cattle paronisasi system in Ponain Village. Source: Personal Documentation (2022)

Results

Farmer characteristics describe the conditions and background of farmers in rearing Bali cattle at Ponain Village. Efu and Simamora (2021) defined farmer characteristics as the overall traits a farmer possesses from birth to the present, which interact with the environment and impact enterprise success. The characteristics of Bali cattle paronisasi farmers in Ponain Village, Amarasi Sub district, Kupang Regency, can be seen in Table 1.

The types of feed given to cattle in the paronisasi activity in Ponain Village are classified into main feed and supplementary feed. The classification of feed types can be seen in Table 2.

Discussion

Characteristics of bali cattle paronisasi farmers

Table 1 indicates that the vast majority (92.86%) of cattle farmers in Ponain Village who engage in cattle fattening are of productive age. They are the primary asset in upholding the paronisasi system. This is due to their ability to cultivate their abilities, introduce novel ideas, and expand the scope of their firm. In their study, Prawira et al (2015) highlighted the crucial role of farmers in the prime of their working years in beef cattle enterprise development, highlighting their effective ability to coordinate actions, make decisions about technology implementation, and innovate. The majority (87.14%) of Bali cattle farmers who engage in gender-based classification are male. Males primarily undertake the task of fattening Balinese cattle on smallholder farms in Ponain Village. Randu et al (2020) revealed similar research findings that men significantly participated in paronisasi activities in Oeletsala Village, Kupang District, due to their role as the main breadwinner of the family, the association of livestock with masculinity, and their ability to forage in distant locations, as well as their responsibility in livestock management (Randu and Hartono 2018). The formal education of Bali cattle paronisasi farmers in the current study (Table 1) is an elementary school (48.58%). This condition is considered inadequate to support fattening activities because the low level of farmers’ education tends to limit the adoption of livestock technology and innovations. The results in the present study differ from the study by Simamora (2020) in South Bikomi Subdistrict, North Central Timor Regency, who found that formal education among beef cattle farmers was predominantly high school. Prawira et al (2015) highlighted that lower education levels hinder farmers' progress and slow livestock development due to their limited capacity to adopt various technologies. The findings (Table 1) show that the majority of farmers (88.57%) keep between 1 and 5 cows. Thus, Balinese cattle paronisasi in Ponain Village can be classified as a small-scale enterprise. Krisna and Harry (2014) classified the beef cattle enterprise into small-scale (1-5 heads), medium-scale (6-10 heads), and large-scale (>10 heads). Anari et al (2018) highlight the potential for developing ruminant livestock due to 90% of domestic calf production coming from smallholder farms. However, farmers face challenges due to limited scale, traditional practices, and limited capital, making it difficult to optimize income and improve household welfare.

Types and quantity of feed in bali cattle paronisasi enterprise

This study discovered that the feed provided to Bali cattle in Ponain Village may be categorized into two types: main feed and supplementary feed (Table 2). The variety of main and supplementary meals provided often changes considerably, contingent upon the accessibility and climatic circumstances (seasons). This suggests that Bali cattle paronisasi farmers can effectively exploit the diverse feed resources that are present on their farms. However, farmers do not provide dietary concentrate in the paronisasi activities for Bali cattle due to their lack of knowledge about the type of concentrate feed, its benefits, as well as their limited budget to provide a concentrated diet. Nugraha et al (2016) suggest feeding Bali cattle with forages, concentrates, and supplementary feeds to maintain rumen ecology balance. Forages, rich in crude fiber, are crucial for maintaining balance. Dietary concentrates provide high protein and energy, while supplementary feeds stimulate growth, prevent diseases, and supply nutrients like vitamins and minerals (Sudradjat and Rianti 2019). This study found that Ponain Village farmers do not weigh the feed they provide to the cattle. The Balinese cattle receive the collected feed directly, without any treatment. Farmers usually collect 2-4 bundles of forage equivalent to 20–80 kg daily.

Frequency and timing of feed provision in bali cattle paronisasi enterprise

The current research found that farmers frequently provided feed to Bali cattle twice a day, at 08:00 a.m. and at 4:00 p.m. local time, with interval feeding time was 8 hours. This result is similar to the findings of Haloho and Tarigan (2021) who reported a feeding time of twice a day in smallholder beef cattle in Langkat Regency. However, it is higher than the once-a-day feeding in the afternoon for beef cattle at Sejaro Sakti Village, Indralaya Subdistrict, Ogan Ilir Regency (Sandi et al 2018). Efendy (2018) found that eating is a crucial daily activity for cattle. Eating for cattle is the process of taking or grabbing feed placed in the feeding area. The recommended frequency of feeding for cattle is three times a day, at 06:00 AM for concentrate feeding, and 07:30 AM and 01:30 PM for forage feeding. The more frequently the forage was offered, the higher the cattle consumed the ration, resulting in increased dry matter digestibility of the forage and improved nutrient intake for production and growth (Siregar 2008 cited in Sandi et al 2018). Conversely, discontinuous feeding reduced cattle growth (Thaariq 2017).

Feeding techniques in bali cattle p aronisasi enterprise

According to this study, farmers in Ponain Village feed Bali cattle directly from local forage, without processing. Farmers use two housing systems: open cages and tethering cattle under trees. Farmers feed the penned cattle in feed troughs, while ranchers feed the tethered cattle by placing them on the ground without separating the leaves and stems. This method of feeding tethered cattle causes the forage to mix with feces and urine due to trampling by the cattle, causing other factors such as low palatability, health, productivity, and environmental contamination (Randu et al 2020). Sudradjat and Rianti (2019) stated that shredding, which is part of the mechanical/physical method, is more cost-effective and easier than cutting and grinding while maintaining nutritional composition. Shredding also enhances nutritional value, increases intake, accelerates the flow rate of the digestate, and improves digestion.

Conclusion

• The characteristics of Balinese cattle paronisasi farmers in Ponain Village, Kupang Regency, are generally in the productive age category, are male, have a formal education of primary school, and have a small-scale paronisasi enterprise with low livestock ownership (ranging from 1-5 heads).
  
  
• The type of feed used in paronisasi Bali cattle in Ponain Village, Kupang Regency is forage. Farmers generally do not weigh the amount of forage given to the cattle. However, every day farmers collect 2-4 bundles of forage equivalent to 20-80 kg.
  
  
• The frequency of feeding in paronisasi balinese cattle is done twice a day, at 08.00 am and 4.00 pm.
  
  
• Forage feeding for fattening Balinese cattle in Ponain Village, Kupang Regency is generally done directly, without any processing such as weathering or chopping. The forage is placed on the feeders or the ground without separating the stems and leaves.

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