Stylo grass nutrition is one of the reasons breeders use this green legume as a mainstay feed ingredient. Breeders specifically plant this green fodder on special land so that livestock access to nutritious food is easier in the grazing process.
With regards to the nutrition, what are the good ingredients that livestock can get, especially in increasing body weight and milk production? Should stylo feeding be accompanied by a mixture of concentrates or other feed ingredients? What’s the best way to make stylo-based silage?
In this article, let’s discuss in full stylo grass nutrition and all the efforts you can do for stylosanthes hamata medicinal uses. Let’s see everything you need to know about the stylo in the following description.
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Should You Rely on the Stylo to Guarantee Year-Round Feed Availability?
Of the many choices of feed ingredients, Stylo is one of the most recommended. Besides being able to provide sufficient nutrition for livestock, this green feed is also easily digested. Not only that, let’s look at the reasons why stylo is used as a mainstay of feed in the following description:
Easy to Grow and Easy Care
Leguminosa Styloshanthes guianensis or stylo doesn’t need to be obtained with a lot of effort, let alone spending money. For tropical and subtropical regions, stylo thrives in many grasslands. The amount is even abundant in the rainy season and can last throughout the dry season.
Stylo grass nutrition can be obtained by livestock by grazing or used as silage. Some breeders deliberately plant stylos so that they can more easily supply feed ingredients with measurable management. This plant is also good for soil fertility and effectively suppresses weed growth.
Stylo Grass Nutrition
Various studies and lab results show that stylo contains higher protein than other types of grass. This feed ingredient is also high in fiber so it is easily digested by various types of livestock. Its soft and easy-to-chew texture and distinctive taste tend to be liked by ruminant-type animals.
How to Serve Stylo for Livestock
After knowing the nutrition, you must also apply feeding management so that it is sufficient throughout the year. This green feed can be combined with other feed ingredients, including concentrates and silage. Here are several ways to serve stylo so that it can meet the nutritional needs of livestock:
Eaten Directly by Cattle in the Grasslands
This is the most practical way, in which the cows are herded into the stylo pasture and invited to eat there. Even so, you still have to keep an eye on the cows so they don’t get too full, or some cows don’t seem to have an appetite. The best time for herding cattle on pasture is in the rainy season when the stylo is thriving and abundant, as the plant’s regeneration process is at its best.
Cut and Transported to Farm
The next way is to cut it, then transport it to the farm. It requires more manpower, but it is better than herding. This is because the management of feeding is more evenly distributed and supervision of livestock is easier. This method must be accompanied by technical knowledge so that you can cut legumes properly.
The stylo cutting should ideally be 20-25 cm from the soil surface. Avoid cutting too short, because it will inhibit plant regeneration. Also pay attention to cutting time, where you should wait about 3 months after the new stylo is planted. The next harvest is about 40 to 50 days from the last cut.
Presented in Silage Form
The grass nutrition can be maintained even though the plants have been cut and stored to provide feed in the lean season. You do this by making silage, fermented feed that is stored in an airtight container so that it lasts even if it is stored for several months to a year.
So how to make stylo-based silage? You can use the conventional method but still rely on the latest devices to make it technically faster and more effective. Stylo cutting and compaction should be done as recommended by experienced breeders.
Furthermore, silage packaging can rely on silage film, bale net wrap, or round bale film, according to capacity. The use of a special wrapping machine will be an effective collaboration so that the packaging is faster and lighter. The use of film silage should also be done selectively.
Make sure you have researched to ensure cooperation with experienced and credible suppliers. Also, make sure that the silage film is resistant to tears and punctures so that the stylo grass nutrition is maintained even if it is stored for months. Ideally, the silage film is also guaranteed to ensure that it is resistant to exposure to ultraviolet light for a certain time.
Finally, there are many ways you can serve feed to livestock to boost productivity in the livestock business. Stylo grass nutrition is no longer in doubt. Moreover, the management of feeding and silage production must be paid close attention to so that fodder is guaranteed and available throughout the year.