A Detailed Guide to the Fermentation Method for Paper Mulberry Silage

Paper mulberry leaves can be used to feed pigs. In the past, they were simply chopped and boiled before feeding, but this was not good for the pigs' digestion. Now they are mainly fermented before use. What is the fermentation method for paper mulberry silage?

1. Fermentation method for paper mulberry silage

1. Antibiotic-free fermented feed raw material formula: fermented paper mulberry leaves 50%, corn 15%, soybean meal 4%, fish meal 1%, rice bran meal 20%, wheat bran 6%, stone powder 1%, calcium hydrogen phosphate 1%, salt 0.25%, premix 1%, enzyme preparation 0.5%.

The enzyme preparation is cellulase, with an activity of ≥5000IU.

The mixed material includes the following trace elements per kilogram of feed: iron 100mg, copper 30mg, zinc 90mg, manganese 15mg, iodine 0.2mg, selenium 0.3mg. No antibiotics are added to the premix.

2. Preparation method and steps of the antibiotic-free fermented feed:

(1) Process the feed raw materials such as paper mulberry leaves, corn, soybean meal, fish meal, rice bran meal, wheat bran and stone powder separately with a grinder; the screen mesh aperture of the grinder is 1.5-3.0mm;

(2) Mix calcium hydrogen phosphate, salt, premix and enzyme preparation according to the formula proportions to form a mixed material;

(3) Fully and evenly mix the ground material obtained in step one and step two with the mixed material according to the formula proportions, as the base fermentation substrate;

(4) Control the moisture content of the base fermentation substrate obtained in step three at 55-65%, add the feed fermentation agent, and mix and stir evenly;

(5) Put the inoculated fermented feed into fermented feed bags, compact it, vacuum-seal it, and place it in a fermentation room to culture for about 72 hours. Take a sample for testing; when the pH drops below 4.4 and there is a strong sour aroma, it is a qualified product.

The feed fermentation agent includes lactic acid bacteria, Bacillus subtilis and yeast. The addition amount of lactic acid bacteria, Bacillus subtilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae is 0.5-1% of the dry weight of the antibiotic-free fermented feed for black pigs. The antibiotic-free fermented feed product is added at a ratio of 50% to the conventional compound feed for black pigs at different stages.

2. Key points of silage fermentation

1. Sufficient carbon source, appropriate sugar content

In order to ensure the massive reproduction of lactic acid bacteria and the formation of a sufficient amount of lactic acid, the silage raw material must contain the minimum required sugar content. It is generally required that the sugar content in the silage raw material should be at least 1%-1.5% of the fresh weight. Corn flour, molasses or brown sugar are generally added as supplements.

2. Moderate moisture content

A moderate amount of moisture in the silage raw material is an important condition for ensuring that the feed fermentation technique works. If the moisture content is too high or too low, it will affect the silage fermentation process and the quality of the silage. If the moisture content is too low, it is difficult to trample and compact the silage, more air remains in the silo, aerobic bacteria multiply in large numbers, and the silage becomes moldy and rotten; if there is too much moisture, it is easy to compact and form clumps, which favors the activity of butyric acid bacteria, and at the same time, the plant cell sap is squeezed out and lost, causing nutrient loss.

3. Anaerobic environment

An anaerobic environment is one of the most basic links for ensuring successful silage. Residual air can be expelled by cutting the raw material short, loading it quickly, compacting it (the closer to the top layer, the more carefully it must be trampled firm), sealing the opening tightly, and covering the plastic film with soil after sealing the top. As long as the above requirements are met, the residual oxygen in the equipment will be quickly exhausted, the nutrients consumed by aerobic respiration of plant cells will be greatly reduced, and the heat production during the fermentation stage will also decrease, thereby preventing excessive heat production from inhibiting the proliferation of lactic acid bacteria and promoting the proliferation of other microorganisms, which is conducive to successful silage.

The fermentation method for paper mulberry is relatively simple, but the method of composing the raw materials is not necessarily fixed and can be proportioned according to needs.