Effect of processing methods on digestibility and voluntary intake of oil palm frond in cattle

Digestion trials of four different types of oil palm frond, dried form, pellets, silage and sodium hydroxide treated silage, were carried out to elucidate the influence of processing methods on digestibility and voluntary intake in cattle. These processed fronds were mixed with a basal ration, mainly composed of palm kernel cake at different levels and fed to Kedah-Kelantan cross cattle at a maintenance level and ad libitum feeding. The digestibility of fronds per se was calculated from the digestibility of the mixed ration and that of the basal ration. The results were as follows: pelletized frond had higher voluntary intake than the other processed fronds. However, the digestibility of pelletized frond was lower than those of other processed fronds. Therefore, there was a tendency for the digestible dry matter intake of pelletized frond to be lower than those of other processed fronds. The digestibility and the voluntary intake of frond silage was the same as the value of dried frond. Sodium hydroxide treated silage had higher digestibility and higher digestible dry matter intake than the other processed fronds