Herbal Medicines to Boost the Immune Systems of Bali Cattle Affected by Flooding in the DLT-Pudak Area of Pudak Village Kumpeh Ulu Subdistrict

Abstract

Prolonged flooding in the DLT-PUDAK area has had a severe impact on cattle farmers, leading to widespread outbreaks of diseases such as Septicaemia Epizootica (SE), Jembrana disease, Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), and other infectious diseases. These outbreaks have resulted in the death of approximately 160 cattle, causing substantial economic losses and disrupting livestock production. Therefore, there is an urgent need to educate farmers on post-flood cattle management and introduce practical technologies to improve animal health. This community service program proposes the application of Healthy Herbal Supplement (Jamu Sehat) as a herbal-based feed additive that functions as a natural immunomodulator. Currently, most farmers still practice traditional cattle management, relying primarily on forage with occasional supplementation of cassava residue or tofu by-products. The herbal supplement can be produced independently using locally available spices, making it a cost-effective alternative to expensive commercial veterinary medicines. The program will be implemented through a learning-by-doing approach, including training on the preparation of the herbal supplement, demonstrations, and hands-on assistance in its application to concentrate feed. This approach is expected to improve farmers' knowledge, technical skills, and self-reliance in managing cattle health during the post-flood recovery period. The healthy herbal supplement is the result of previous research demonstrating its significant effectiveness in improving feed intake and body weight gain in male Bali cattle. Administration of 300 mL per animal mixed with concentrate feed significantly enhanced appetite and growth performance. Therefore, the use of this location-specific herbal supplement is recommended as an appropriate technology to improve cattle health, productivity, and accelerate the recovery of livestock farming in flood-affected areas.