Have you ever heard of sorghum for livestock? Maybe you’ve heard that this ingredient is a substitute for rice in human food. Sorghum can be used as an alternative feed for livestock. Then, is sorghum good for animal feed? Here is the exact answer.
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What is Sorghum?
Before discussing this material as an alternative livestock feed, you should know more about this material in advance. Sorghum is a plant that has useful seeds. One of its uses is as a food raw material. So far, maybe most people know it as food for humans.
This ingredient has other benefits that many people may not know about. Namely as food for livestock, mostly ruminants. In addition, this material also serves as a basic ingredient for biodiesel energy. Who would have thought, this corn-like plant has many benefits?
Although this plant originates from the African continent, it is now widely cultivated in several other countries. The seeds and plants are similar to corn. It’s just that, the size of sorghum seeds is smaller than corn.
This Contains Sorghum as a Food Ingredient
This is the reason it is used as a food substitute for rice for humans. This material contains high fiber. So that it can be used as a substitute for rice for human consumption. Then what about farm animals? is sorghum good for animal feed? is the content good for livestock?
Logically, this food is beneficial to the human body. Of course, it will also be beneficial to the bodies of animals that consume it. Because it contains many vitamins such as vitamin B1 or thiamin, B6, zinc, magnesium, selenium, potassium, and others. In addition, sorghum contains protein, carbohydrates, fat, calories, and more.
Sorghum as a Raw Material for Animal Feed
Forage made from sorghum can increase livestock production, especially ruminants. This plant grows and easily adapts to tropical environments. In addition, this plant can produce photosynthetic products well. Why is that? Because just 100 grams of sorghum contains 72 grams of carbohydrates.
This statement can certainly answer the question ‘is sorghum good for animal feed?’ With its smaller size compared to corn, but containing more carbohydrates, this raw material is very suitable for animal feed.
This plant has the potential to anticipate global climate change. This is because this plant has wide adaptability, especially in tropical environments. In addition, this plant is one of the potential cereal crops. Because almost all parts of this plant have benefits for humans and livestock.
Is sorghum good for animal feed? the answer is ‘yes’. The leaves and stems of the sorghum plant are very useful for livestock. This food ingredient can increase the weight of your livestock. It can even increase the production of meat and milk from farm animals. Because the stem parts of this plant contain liquid sugar and bioethanol, thus giving this animal feed a sweet taste.
Sorghum Silage Content for Animal Feed
The content of the stems before being fermented has a prussic acid sap. This content is toxic to livestock. For this reason, it is necessary to carry out a fermentation process of straw to remove the toxic content. At least, ferment for 2 to 3 hours to remove the content.
Then is it good for animal feed after it is fermented? The answer is ‘yes’. This food ingredient after going through the fermentation process is certainly very good for your livestock. The content of the straw itself is comparable or directly proportional to the nutrition of elephant grass and sugarcane.
The Characteristics of Good Sorghum Straw for Livestock
Is ot good for animal feed for all qualities? Not all qualities of sorghum straw are good for the livestock. There are several characteristics of good sorghum silage for livestock. The first is having a fragrance that leads to a sweet smell. The next characteristics are not moldy, not agglomerated, have a greenish color, have a pH ranging from 4-4.5, and have a grass texture that is still clearly visible.
That is a detailed explanation of ‘is sorghum good for animal feed’. Judging from the content of this plant, this food is very good for the livestock. Because it can increase the weight, meat, and milk of farm animals. Thus, livestock can be of high value because they have good quality.
If you want livestock of the highest quality, provide quality food as well, such as this sorghum silage. Apart from low-cost feed, you can store the silage for many months, as long as it is properly wrapped with high-quality silage film. For that, provide the best feed for your livestock. Sorghum silage is one of the best feeds for quality livestock.