Chemical composition of agricultural products and by-products used in animal feed by small producers in the Quevedo area, Ecuador

Abstract

The study was conducted in the Quevedo canton, province of Los Ríos, Ecuador, with the purpose of identifying,  analyzing and classifying agricultural products and by-products used in animal feed by small-scale agricultural producers. The methodology used included two phases: field (survey of 64 producers) and laboratory; In the first phase, information was collected on the identification of the property and the products and/or by-products used by the producers in the animal feed. In the second phase, representative samples of the products and/or by-products that have given good results in the animal feeding, determining in three triplicates the following analyses: Dry matter (MS), Gross Energy (EB), Crude Protein (PC), Ethereal Extract (EE), Raw Fiber (FC), Ash (C) and Calcium (Ca). The results show that 36 agricultural products and by-products are used in the study area (banana, passion fruit peel, rice and corn residues, bread-fruit, tapioca, cassava leaves, among others) of which 47.22% have high content of energy (≤20% CP and up to 18% FC), 19.44% have high P percentages (≥20% PB and ≤ 18% FC) and 33.34% have high amounts of CF in their composition (≥18 % of FB and ≤ 20% of PC). The information obtained constitutes a baseline, which could be used as a reference tool with the purpose of promoting new strategies related to animal feed, providing an easy-to-use alternative for small producers.