Feeding mango peel silage to calves improved the growth performances and feed efficiency, and reduced the feed cost

The major challenges for disposal of waste from fruit processing plants are high transportation costs, limited landfill availability and environmental pollution. Therefore, developing efficient waste management techniques to reduce transportation costs and environment pollution is important. In this study, fresh mongo peels (MP) were ensiled after sun-dried for one day and then fed to dairy male calves as the roughage source to evaluate its effect on feed intake, digestibility, energy balance, body weight gain, feed efficiency, blood metabolites and feed cost effectiveness. Eight growing crossbred dairy male calves were allocated into two groups [Control (n=4) and mango peel silage (MPS, n=4)]. Ensiling improved the energy and protein contents and decreased fibre content of MP, thereby improving the forage quality. Feeding MPS to calves increased (P < 0.05) feed intake, energy supply and energy balance, changes in body measurement, weight gain, feed efficiency, and glucose concentration, as well as lowered (P < 0.05) the urea nitrogen concentration and feed cost per kilogram of live weight gain. Ensiling fresh MP after sun-drying for one day improved silage quality, and feeding MPS to dairy male calves as a roughage source improved growth performances and feed efficiency while lowering feed costs per unit of weight gain. Thus, ensiling fresh MP after sun-drying for one day is an efficient waste management method because it reduces waste management problems from fruit processing plants while also improving feed supply for ruminant production.

果品加工厂废弃物处理面临的主要挑战包括高昂的运输成本、有限的填埋场地以及环境污染问题。因此，研发高效的废弃物管理技术以降低运输成本与环境污染具有重要意义。本研究中，将新鲜芒果皮（mango peels, MP）经一日日晒干燥后进行青贮处理，随后作为粗饲料来源饲喂至生长阶段的杂交乳用公犊牛，以评估其对采食量、消化率、能量平衡、体重增长、饲料转化率、血液代谢物以及饲料成本效益的影响。将8头生长阶段的杂交乳用公犊牛随机分为两组：对照组（n=4）与芒果皮青贮料组（mango peel silage, MPS, n=4）。青贮处理可提升芒果皮的能量与蛋白质含量，降低其纤维含量，从而改善饲草品质。给犊牛饲喂芒果皮青贮料可提升采食量、能量供给与能量平衡，改善体尺指标、体重增长、饲料转化率以及血糖浓度（P<0.05，差异具有统计学意义）；同时可降低血清尿素氮浓度与每千克活体增重的饲料成本（P<0.05，差异具有统计学意义）。经一日日晒干燥后对新鲜芒果皮进行青贮，可提升青贮料品质；将芒果皮青贮料作为粗饲料饲喂乳用公犊牛，可改善其生长性能与饲料转化率，同时降低单位增重的饲料成本。因此，经一日日晒干燥后对新鲜芒果皮进行青贮是一种高效的废弃物管理方式，既可解决果品加工厂的废弃物处理难题，又可为反刍动物生产提供优质饲粮供给。