Abstract
The expansion of oil palm plantation areas will increase the potential for waste to serve as an alternative livestock feed. Due to limitations in its use caused by high levels of antinutrients, it must be processed into a complete, fermented feed based on oil palm waste. In addition, the addition of essential unsaturated fatty acids, such as lemuru fish oil, can affect the pH, VFA, and NH3 levels in the rumen of sheep. This study aims to determine the optimal feed processing and oil protection methods in vitro. The first factor in feed processing was fermented versus non-fermented, while the second factor was no protection, saponification protection with KOH, and saponification protection with NaOH. The parameters tested in vitro were pH, VFA, and NH3. The experimental design used in this study was a completely randomized design (CRD) with a 2x3 factorial pattern. Each combination was replicated four times. Based on the research results, it was found that feed treatment and MIL protection had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on pH, but had a significant effect (P 0.05) on VFA and pH. Complete feed fermentation with the addition of lemuru fish oil soap using NaOH alkali was able to protect the lemuru fish oil without interfering with protein degradation, resulting in VFA (93.00 mM), NH3 (7.96 mM), and a pH of 6.70.