Carter, N.

Dewey, C.E.

Grace, Delia

Lange, C.F.M. de

Lukuyu, Ben A.

CGSpace

ILRI extension brief—October 20151 ILRI extension brief—October 20151ILRI extension briefOctober 2015Silage-based diets for local and crossbred pigs in Uganda Natalie Carter, Catherine Dewey, Ben Lukuyu, Delia Grace and Cornelis F.M. de LangeWho this brief is for This brief is for extension workers who are supporting smallholder pig development in East Africa. It provides information on how to make silage from locally available ingredients and how to feed this to pigs. It also gives information on the nutrient content of the silage-based diet and the expected growth rate of pigs fed the si-lage-based diet.IntroductionSmallholder pig farmers in Uganda report that feed scarcity, high cost and seasonal variations in feed quality and availability are key constraints to pig production. Silage is a method of preserving plant materials by compacting and storing them in airtight conditions so that they ferment and can be used as animal feed in any season. Ensiling sweet potato vines and tubers during the wet season converts surplus highly perishable materials with low marketability into a much-needed pig feedstuff available throughout the year. When mixed with other ingredients in a balanced diet, sweet potato vine and tuber silage can improve pig growth and farmers’ incomes.1, 2       Picture 4: Adding vines and tubers                             Picture 5: Adding salt                         Picture 6: Using a log to compact a layer      Picture 1: Wilted sweet potato vines               Picture 2: Chopped sweet potato vines              Picture 3: Chopped sweet potato tubers    Picture 7: Adding more vines and tubers              Picture 8: Bricks keeping the polythene                                                                     in place. Knife slits on the bottom edge to                                                                                          let effluent drain.                              Making silage-based diet Ingredients and amount of each to make 5 kg of silage-based dietIngredientAmount (grams) to make 5 kg of  silage-based diet Sweet potato vine and tuber silage 2929Cottonseed meal 81Maize bran 310Human-grade sun-dried fish  (mukene; Rastrineobola argentea)127Papaya leaf 136Jackfruit (entire fruit with seeds and peel) 1408Iodized table salt 6Mineral vitamin premix 3MethodologyMaking silage•	 Use mixed varieties of sweet potato vines and tubers. Wilt the vines for three days in partial shade then chop them into 5–10 cm long pieces. Chop the tubers into 2.5 cm3 pieces (Pictures 1-3).  •	 Make a bunk using local bricks and cement and line it with heavy black polythene.  •	 Place vines, tubers and salt in alternating layers (70% vines, 30% tubers and 0.05% salt) using pitch forks (vines), buckets (tubers) and one-kg bags (salt). Firmly compact each layer by rolling a heavy log over it by hand and stomping on edges to remove as much air as possible (Pictures 4-7).  •	 Cover the pile tightly with heavy black polythene to keep air and water out. Put some rocks, broken bricks and soil on top to help keep the polythene in place. Cut four 10-cm knife slits on the outer bottom edge to enable effluent drainage (Picture 8).  •	  Keep the pile tightly covered/sealed for at least 30 days before using the silage to prepare the silage-based diet. Only open the bunk for a very brief time when removing silage then tightly cover it again. Remove and discard any spoiled silage. 2ILRI extension brief—October 20151 ILRI extension brief—October 20151ILRI extension briefOctober 2015Silage-based diets for local and crossbred pigs in Uganda Natalie Carter, Catherine Dewey, Ben Lukuyu, Delia Grace and Cornelis F.M. de LangeWho this brief is for This brief is for extension workers who are supporting smallholder pig development in East Africa. It provides information on how to make silage from locally available ingredients and how to feed this to pigs. It also gives information on the nutrient content of the silage-based diet and the expected growth rate of pigs fed the si-lage-based diet.IntroductionSmallholder pig farmers in Uganda report that feed scarcity, high cost and seasonal variations in feed quality and availability are key constraints to pig production. Silage is a method of preserving plant materials by compacting and storing them in airtight conditions so that they ferment and can be used as animal feed in any season. Ensiling sweet potato vines and tubers during the wet season converts surplus highly perishable materials with low marketability into a much-needed pig feedstuff available throughout the year. When mixed with other ingredients in a balanced diet, sweet potato vine and tuber silage can improve pig growth and farmers’ incomes.1, 2       Picture 4: Adding vines and tubers                             Picture 5: Adding salt                         Picture 6: Using a log to compact a layer      Picture 1: Wilted sweet potato vines               Picture 2: Chopped sweet potato vines              Picture 3: Chopped sweet potato tubers    Picture 7: Adding more vines and tubers              Picture 8: Bricks keeping the polythene                                                                     in place. Knife slits on the bottom edge to                                                                                          let effluent drain.                              Making silage-based diet Ingredients and amount of each to make 5 kg of silage-based dietIngredientAmount (grams) to make 5 kg of  silage-based diet Sweet potato vine and tuber silage 2929Cottonseed meal 81Maize bran 310Human-grade sun-dried fish  (mukene; Rastrineobola argentea)127Papaya leaf 136Jackfruit (entire fruit with seeds and peel) 1408Iodized table salt 6Mineral vitamin premix 3MethodologyMaking silage•	 Use mixed varieties of sweet potato vines and tubers. Wilt the vines for three days in partial shade then chop them into 5–10 cm long pieces. Chop the tubers into 2.5 cm3 pieces (Pictures 1-3).  •	 Make a bunk using local bricks and cement and line it with heavy black polythene.  •	 Place vines, tubers and salt in alternating layers (70% vines, 30% tubers and 0.05% salt) using pitch forks (vines), buckets (tubers) and one-kg bags (salt). Firmly compact each layer by rolling a heavy log over it by hand and stomping on edges to remove as much air as possible (Pictures 4-7).  •	 Cover the pile tightly with heavy black polythene to keep air and water out. Put some rocks, broken bricks and soil on top to help keep the polythene in place. Cut four 10-cm knife slits on the outer bottom edge to enable effluent drainage (Picture 8).  •	  Keep the pile tightly covered/sealed for at least 30 days before using the silage to prepare the silage-based diet. Only open the bunk for a very brief time when removing silage then tightly cover it again. Remove and discard any spoiled silage. 2ILRI extension brief—October 20152 ILRI extension brief—October 201521. Grind sun-dried fish into tiny pieces using a mortar and pestle or grinding machine. 2. Thoroughly mix sun-dried fish, cotton seed meal, maize bran, salt and premix together in a dry container.3. Chop papaya leaf and jackfruit  into 1 cm pieces using a panga,  knife or chopping machine.5. Thoroughly mix all ingredients together in a large pail or on a tarpaulin.4. Get silage from the bunk and tightly re-close the plastic so no air can enter. 6. Three times per day, feed pigs as much silage-based diet as they want to eat. Be sure pigs have fresh, clean water (i.e. water with no dirt, no soap, no salt etc. in it) at all times. They will eat more and grow faster.Nutritional content of silage-based dietAnalyzed nutritional content % of dry matterCrude protein 18.4Ether extract 7.0Neutral detergent fibre 34.9Ash 11.4Total calcium 1.29Total phosphorus 1.32Estimated digestible energy  (kcal/kg of dry matter)2499Pig growth rate (grams per day) when fed silage-based diet versus commercial diet (Ugachick sow and weaner ration)Pig age DietCommercial Silage-based 9 to 15 weeks 294 5216 to 19 weeks 329 21220 to 24 weeks 574 36228 to 32 weeks 636 514While a silage-based diet is unsuitable for small newly-weaned pigs, it is useful for heavier pigs (i.e. > 9.2 kg bodyweight).ContactNatalie CarterILRI Uganda and University of Guelph, Canadanatalieacarter001@gmail.comNatalie Carter, Catherine Dewey and Cornelis F.M. de Lange work for the University of Guelph. Ben Lukuyu and Delia Grace work for the International Livestock Research Institute.ilri.org better lives through livestock ILRI is a member of the CGIAR ConsortiumBox 30709, Nairobi 00100, Kenya Phone: + 254 20 422 3000 Fax: +254 20 422 3001 Email: ILRI-Kenya@cgiar.orgBox 5689,  Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Phone: +251 11 617 2000  Fax: +251 11 617 2001 Email: ILRI-Ethiopia@cgiar.orgReferences1. Peters, D. 2008. Assessment of the potential of sweet potato as livestock feed in East Africa: Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya. A report presented to the International Potato Center (CIP), Nairobi. http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/agphome/images/iclsd/documents/wk1_c13_claessens.pdf.2. Cargill, C.F., Mahalaya, I.S., Tjintokohadi, I., Syahputra, T.A. and Gray, D. 2009. Poverty alleviation and food security through improving the sweetpotato-pig systems in Papua, Indonesia. Canberra, Australia: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research.3 This brief is licensed for use under a Creative Commons Attribution – Noncommercia l- Share Alike 3.0 Unported Licence                                                             October 2015ILRI extension brief—October 20152 ILRI extension brief—October 201521. Grind sun-dried fish into tiny pieces using a mortar and pestle or grinding machine. 2. Thoroughly mix sun-dried fish, cotton seed meal, maize bran, salt and premix together in a dry container.3. Chop papaya leaf and jackfruit  into 1 cm pieces using a panga,  knife or chopping machine.5. Thoroughly mix all ingredients together in a large pail or on a tarpaulin.4. Get silage from the bunk and tightly re-close the plastic so no air can enter. 6. Three times per day, feed pigs as much silage-based diet as they want to eat. Be sure pigs have fresh, clean water (i.e. water with no dirt, no soap, no salt etc. in it) at all times. They will eat more and grow faster.Nutritional content of silage-based dietAnalyzed nutritional content % of dry matterCrude protein 18.4Ether extract 7.0Neutral detergent fibre 34.9Ash 11.4Total calcium 1.29Total phosphorus 1.32Estimated digestible energy  (kcal/kg of dry matter)2499Pig growth rate (grams per day) when fed silage-based diet versus commercial diet (Ugachick sow and weaner ration)Pig age DietCommercial Silage-based 9 to 15 weeks 294 5216 to 19 weeks 329 21220 to 24 weeks 574 36228 to 32 weeks 636 514While a silage-based diet is unsuitable for small newly-weaned pigs, it is useful for heavier pigs (i.e. > 9.2 kg bodyweight).ContactNatalie CarterILRI Uganda and University of Guelph, Canadanatalieacarter001@gmail.comNatalie Carter, Catherine Dewey and Cornelis F.M. de Lange work for the University of Guelph. Ben Lukuyu and Delia Grace work for the International Livestock Research Institute.ilri.org better lives through livestock ILRI is a member of the CGIAR ConsortiumBox 30709, Nairobi 00100, Kenya Phone: + 254 20 422 3000 Fax: +254 20 422 3001 Email: ILRI-Kenya@cgiar.orgBox 5689,  Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Phone: +251 11 617 2000  Fax: +251 11 617 2001 Email: ILRI-Ethiopia@cgiar.orgReferences1. Peters, D. 2008. Assessment of the potential of sweet potato as livestock feed in East Africa: Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya. A report presented to the International Potato Center (CIP), Nairobi. http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/agphome/images/iclsd/documents/wk1_c13_claessens.pdf.2. Cargill, C.F., Mahalaya, I.S., Tjintokohadi, I., Syahputra, T.A. and Gray, D. 2009. Poverty alleviation and food security through improving the sweetpotato-pig systems in Papua, Indonesia. Canberra, Australia: Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research.3 This brief is licensed for use under a Creative Commons Attribution – Noncommercia l- Share Alike 3.0 Unported Licence                                                             October 2015

Silage-based diets for local and crossbred pigs in Uganda

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Silage-based diets for local and crossbred pigs in Uganda

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