This research aimed to evaluate the efficiency of silage technique with or without additional ingredients for conserving the fruit of the calabash tree (Crescentia cujete) as a source of food for cattle in the tropical dry forest. Five treatments were distributed in a complete blocks design, following a 5 × 5 factorial scheme with five treatments and conservation times: unground and not ensiled fruits (T0); ensiled ground fruit with no additives (T1); ensiled ground fruit with 1.5% salt (T2); ensiled mixture of ground fruit and calabash tree foliage in a 30:70 ratio (T3); and ensiled mixture of ground fruit and Angleton (Dichanthium aristatum) hay in a 50:50 ratio (T4). The fermentative profile (pH, buffer capacity, NH₃-N and organic acid concentrations), nutritional value and losses were determined. Fruit that was not ensiled (T0) showed undesirable conservation characteristics, with the highest pH (6.68), the highest losses (81.26%), and the poorest nutritive value after 90 days. Inclusion of forage in silage in treatments T3 and T4 increased the dry matter (DM) content by 55% and 185%, respectively, and the neutral detergent fibre (NDF) content by 111% and 201%, respectively, compared to treatment T1. This dramatically reduced the specific density in treatment T4 to 264 ± 37 kg of FM/m³ (equivalent to 156 ± 21 kg of DM/m³), which allowed fungus to appear and spoil the silage (43% FM losses after 90 days of conservation), resulting in a poor fermentative profile. T1 and T2 showed the lowest total losses, followed by T3. They also showed the highest concentrations of lactic acid (8.7 and 6.7 g/kg of DM, respectively) and the lowest pH values (3.75 and 3.78, respectively), despite their high buffering capacity (75.6 and 54.7 mEq/100 g of DM, respectively). The hard shells of the fruits were not sufficient to preserve the pulp and its nutritional value for more than 28 days. The addition of salt did not improve the fermentative profile or nutritive value, so it is not necessary. The feasibility of silage without any additives as the best conservation method has been demonstrated, and this method is recommended for conserving calabash tree fruit to supplement ruminant diets during dry season shortages in tropical farming systems.ammonia nitrogen and acetic acid concentrations, were affected by the interaction treatment × conservation time. However, we failure to confirm the accepted myth conserving CT fruit in its natural form or the benefits of adding salt to improve fermentative quality. Conserving CT fruit alone, without other ingredient and under shade-fresh environmental conditions, demonstrated to be the best ensiling method, which is recommended for supplementing ruminant diets during the dry seasons’ shortage in tropical farming systems.