Production and nutritive value of mulberry hay as potential feed supplement for ruminants



Z. A. Jelan(1*)

(1) Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang Selangor, Malaysia.
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract


A study was conducted to evaluate the dehydration time by sun-drying to produce hay and the DM degradation values of the hay of mulberry foliage (Morus alba). The sun-drying duration to produce the hay was significantly (P<0.05) longer in foliage of 7-weeks than of 5-weeks old. The leaf fraction dried much faster (P<0.05) than the other plant parts and the drying time of the leaf fractions was shorter in 5-weeks than 7-weeks old leaves (19 against 26 hours, respectively). Mulberry hay from 5-weeks old foliage also indicated higher DM degradability when compared to that of 7-week old foliage. Mulberry foliage of five weeks old could be conserved as hay after sun-
drying of less than 26 hours and potentially utilized as feed for ruminants.


Keywords


mulberry hay, drying, nutritive values, degradability

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