Macronutrient-based assessment of fibre source quality in lowland and highland smallholder dairy cattle farms

Abstract

Dairy cattle need high-quality fiber sources to support their milk production. Macronutrients, including ash, crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber (neutral detergent fibre, acid detergent fibre, and hemicellulose), and nitrogen-free extract, and total digestible nutrient can be used to evaluate fibre source quality. Altitude may influence the macronutrient composition of fibre sources due to microclimatic differences between lowland and highland areas. This study aimed to analyze the differences in fibre source quality used by dairy farmers in lowland and highland regions. Fibre source samples were collected lowland farms (Bogor) and highland farms (Pangalengan). Fibre source samples were analyzed for proximate and fibre fraction (% DM) using NIRS. Group means were compared by an independent t-test. The results showed that crude protein levels in the highland fibre sources were significantly higher (p<0.05), whereas crude fiber levels were significantly lower (p<0.05) compared with those from the lowland areas. The NDF, ADF, and hemicellulose fractions in the highland fibre sources were significantly lower (p<0.05) than those in the lowland fibre sources. Based on their macronutrient composition, highland fibre sources exhibit better nutritional quality. This findings underscores the need to account for altitude-driven variation in fibre source nutritional quality in precision ration formulation.