Effect of Moisture Level on the Nutritive Value of Sugarcane Waste (Sacchrum offisinarum) enhanced with Poultry Litter

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of moisture levels on the nutritive value of sugarcane waste (Saccharum officinarum) enhanced with poultry litter through ensiling. Sugarcane waste was collected from processing points, sun-dried for 7 days, and milled through 8mm mesh. Poultry litter obtained from deep litter production system was similarly processed. The milled sugarcane waste and poultry litter were mixed in a 60:40 ratio and ensiled with four different moisture treatments: A (600ml water/25kg), B (800ml/25kg), C (1000ml/25kg), and D (1200ml/25kg). The mixtures were compacted into laboratory silos, sealed, and fermented for 21 days in a completely randomized design with three replications. Physical properties (color, aroma, texture, mould presence) were evaluated subjectively, while proximate composition (dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, ash, ether extract, and nitrogen-free extract) was determined following AOAC (2005) procedures. Results showed that treatment C exhibited the highest crude protein content (13.67%) and ash (5.70%), while treatment A had the highest crude fiber (6.87%). Treatment B showed the highest ether extract (4.43%), and treatment D had the highest nitrogen-free extract (78.96%). Physical evaluation revealed that treatments A, B, and D produced firm silage without mould, whereas treatment C showed slimy texture with mould formation. Moisture and dry matter values showed no significant differences across treatments (P>0.05). The study concludes that moisture variation significantly influenced the proximate composition of ensiled sugarcane waste-poultry litter mixtures, with treatment C providing superior crude protein content. However, physical quality concerns with treatment C suggest the need for further optimization.