Early weaning of Bali calves at six months of age increases herd reproductive efficiency and offers beef smallholders an opportunity to increase productivity and cash flow. This report assesses numerous feeding strategies aimed at increasing the growth rate of early weaned Bali calves in Sulawesi Tengah, East Java, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara. Results demonstrate that simple feeding strategies available to farmers could increase growth rates from 0.1-0.2kg/d to over 0.4kg/d by including high protein feeds such a leucaena, sesbania or copra meal.

This paper examines the economic feasibility of best-bet feeding strategies to increase live weight gain of early weaned Bali calves to identify opportunities for increased profit above feed costs on-farm. The research evaluates 53 feeding strategies in 14 on-station experiments in Central Sulawesi, East Java, East Nusa Tenggara and West Nusa Tenggara. The best-bet feeding strategy at each site was implemented, monitored and adapted on-farm in villages for six months.

In this paper, Priyanti et al. examine the nature and potential of small-scale cattle production in East Java, with a particular focus on the relation between crop and cattle production. A study was carried out in 2010 with 194 cattle producers across two sites (irrigated lowlands and rain-fed uplands) to explore constraints facing cattle producers in these environments and potential means to enhance their production systems and incomes.

In this paper, the authors describe the successful implementation of an integrated village management system to improve reproductive efficiency in beef cattle production. They also review the results of a range of studies conducted to develop feeding strategies to increase growth of early weaned Bali cattle across eastern Indonesia, as well as the potential use of crop residues, including rice straw, as a basal diet for reproducing females.

One of the major constraints to improving livestock production of Bali cattle is the quantity and quality of available animal feed. Improving feed quality by introducing higher quality forages can go a long way towards removing some of those constraints. This report provides an overview and analysis of six ACIAR-funded forage research projects in Indonesia, focused on increasing the adoption of productivity-improving technologies to enhance the incomes and livelihoods of crop-livestock smallholders in eastern Indonesia.