Weed Availability as A Ruminant Forage Source on Coffee Farmers' Land in Kandang Village, Indonesia

The study aimed to calculate the availability of weeds as a source of forage for livestock in coffee farmers' land, Kandang Village, Seberang Musi District, Kepahiang Regency, Indonesia. The study employed the survey approach, with observations in the field and a questionnaire distributed to 81 families as the research sample. The research sample comprises 42 hectares of land. Weed samples were collected on a 1 m x 1 m square plot. The 17 squared plots were set randomly on the research site to identify weed species, production, nutrient content, and land-holding capacity of ruminants. The results of the study showed that there were 14 types of weeds in the field, namely Setaria plicata, Asystasia gangetica, Imperata cylindrica, Mikania micrantha, Crassocephalum crepidioides, Arachis pintoi, Kyllinga monocephala Rottb., Digitaria adscenden, Peperomia pellucida, Ageratum conyzoides, Chromolaena odorata, Borreria alata, Clidemia hirta, and Mimosa pudica. Weed production was estimated at 26.4 tons/ha/year. Five types of weeds contain good nutrition to be used as feed for ruminants. The weeds were S. plicata with water content (11.87), ash (7.11), fat (0.50), protein (11.15), crude fiber (26.43); B. alata, water content (9.52), ash (8.92), fat (1.66), protein (13.14), crude fiber (19.67); C. crepidioides, water content (15.80), ash (21.03), fat (1.47), protein (19.46), crude fiber (9.37); M. micrantha, water content (11.40), ash (6.53), fat (2.08), protein (12.93), crude fiber (17.35) and A. gangetica, water content (11.405), ash (9,135), fat (1,635), protein (13,645), crude fiber (23,91). The land-holding capacity of ruminants reaches two livestock units per year.