Effects of additives on silage African oil palm forage waste and its acceptability in sheep

Resumen

Objective: The objective was to evaluate the effects of different levels of microbial inoculum (MI; 0, 3 and 6%), molasses (0, 3 and 6%), and ground corn (GC; 0 and 3%) on the fermentation and chemical composition of silage made from African oil palm forage waste (APFW), as well as its acceptability in sheep.
Design/methodology/approach: A total of 54 micro-silos were used in a completely randomized design with a 3 × 3 × 2 factorial arrangement and three replications. Additionally, 0.1% urea was added to all treatments. The variables evaluated were pH, lactic acid (LA), dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ash, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF). Significant interactions were analyzed using SLICE in SAS. Acceptability was evaluated using a cafeteria test with four Pelibuey sheep.
Results: Treatments with MI ≥3% and molasses ≥3% reduced pH (from 4.9 to 3.7; p ≤ 0.05) and increased LA concentration, indicating stable fermentation. MI at 6% decreased NDF and ADF (p ≤ 0.05), whereas molasses increased DM (p ≤ 0.05). GC (3%) increased (p ≤ 0.05) pH and LA concentration when combined with molasses at 3-6%, while maintaining indicators consistent with adequate fermentation. Sheep showed greater preference (p ≤ 0.05) for the silage, coinciding with higher DM and CP, and lower NDF and ADF.
Limitations/Implications: The study was conducted in laboratory-scale micro-silos, with a limited animal sample size (n=4) and without evaluation of productive parameters. Therefore, it is recommended to validate these results under field conditions, including the assessment of aerobic stability, performance, and cost-benefit.

Findings/conclusions: The combination of MI (3-6%) with molasses (3-6%) improved the fermentation of APFW, reduced NDF and ADF, and increased its acceptability in sheep, supporting its potential as a feed resources for small ruminants in tropical regions.