Utilization of Coffee Hulls in Cattle Fattening Rations

Abstract

In East Africa the supplementary feeding of beef cattle to provide quality carcasses is currently receiving considerable attention. Whilst there is no difficulty in compounding suitable rations to provide the necessary nutrients for this purpose the narrow profit mar- gin for beef and the seasonal fluctuations in the price and availability of the most suitable feed components make it necessary to investigate the use of alternative feeds for economic production. Tillman et al. (1969) found that rice hulls, although only rating as a low-quality rough age, when included in a high-grain ration materially decreased the cost of a ration without reducing its productive efficiency. Rogerson (1955) found that coffee hulls, also a low-quality roughage were palatable to sheep. Because coffee hulls, a by-product of the coffee industry, are readily available in many parts of East Africa the value of their use in a cattle fattening ration similar to that in which rice hulls were used has been investigated.