Community empowerment of beef cattle farmers through probiotic-based silage technology and reproductive management training in Perreng Village, Bangkalan, Madura Island

This community service program aimed to improve cattle productivity in Perreng Village, Bangkalan, Madura, by introducing feed technology and reproductive management training for smallholder farmers. The activity was conducted on July 14, 2025, through a participatory approach combining education, hands-on practice, and evaluation. Farmers were trained to prepare silage from local grasses using molasses through a layered method, as well as to ferment rice straw with EM4 to enhance its nutritional quality. Representative samples of fresh grass, silage, rice straw, and fermented rice straw were collected for proximate analysis to determine dry matter, crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber, ash, and nitrogen-free extract. The analysis revealed that fermentation and ensiling improved feed quality, with silage showing higher crude protein and lower crude fiber compared to fresh forage, while fermented rice straw demonstrated increased protein and reduced fiber content compared to untreated straw. The evaluation used a pre-test and post-test design. Knowledge of feed technology increased substantially, with awareness of probiotics rising from 13.3% to 100%, knowledge of silage benefits from 23.3% to 96.7%, and understanding of straw fermentation from 30% to 100%. Practical skills improved markedly, with the ability to chop forage increasing from 36.7% to 93.3%, mix additives from 16.7% to 96.7%, and store silage properly from 30% to 100%. Knowledge of reproductive management also showed significant gains: recognition of estrus signs rose from 40% to 96.7%, understanding the importance of reproductive health rose from 6.7% to 100%, and awareness of artificial insemination rose from 3.3% to 100%. Overall, the program demonstrated that participatory training effectively enhanced both knowledge and technical competencies of smallholder farmers. Nutritional improvements from silage and rice straw fermentation further validated the program’s contribution to feed sustainability, food security, and rural livelihoods.