The Postgraduate Student Association (HMP) at the Faculty of Animal Science Universitas Gadjah Mada held a Community Service activity as a part of the Tri Dharma of the Higher Education. This activity was held on Sunday (21/12) in Sido Rejo Livestock Farmers Group, Patalan Village, Jetis Subdistrict, Bantul Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta.
This community service activity brought the theme “Cow Herd Management: Cow Nutrition Awareness for Optimal Calf Production”. A total of 47 farmers attended and participated in this activity, consisting of members from the Sido Rejo Livestock Farmers Group, Farmer Group, and Agricultural Extension Workers of Jetis Subdistrict.
The Head of Patalan, Wahyudi, expressed his appreciation and gratitude for the presence of the Postgraduate Student Association in the Faculty of Animal Science UGM in his village. This activity is greatly needed by farmers, given that knowledge about beef cattle remains limited, especially regarding feeding and reproduction. This situation leads to less-than-optimal production, often resulting in losses.
“Through this activity, we hope to improve the knowledge and skills of farmers and positively impact their livestock businesses,” said Wahyudi.
Ir. Rochijan, S.Pt., M.Sc., IPM., a lecturer at the Faculty of Animal Science UGM, and Head of the Doctoral Program of the Postgraduate Student Association, delivered a presentation on the importance of integrated cow management, with an emphasis on fulfilling the nutritional needs of the cows. Rochijan explained that the quality and balance of the cow’s nutrition before gestation, during gestation, and during lactation significantly determine reproductive performance, the health of the cow, and the quality and viability of the calves produced.
“Low awareness of maternal nutrition management is often the main cause of reproductive disorders, low calf birth weight, and long calving intervals. Therefore, farmers’ understanding of proper and sustainable feed management is a key factor in increasing the productivity and efficiency of beef cattle farming,” said Rochijan.
One of the livestock representatives, Tujilan, stated that this activity was very beneficial and hoped to be followed up, especially on issues requiring ongoing assistance, such as limited water supplies for livestock, failure to produce silage, dependence on relatively expensive feed sources from outside the region, and feeding patterns that are still limited to banana stalks, elephant grass, and a small amount of concentrate, as well as ineffective Artificial Insemination.
Original article: https://fapet.ugm.ac.id/hmp-program-doktor-fapet-ugm-gelar-pengabdian-masyarakat-tentang-manajemen-induk-sapi-di-kelompok-ternak-sido-rejo/
Translated by: Sarah Suminar