Nutritional value of pearl millet for lactating and growing goats

• Published in: Journal of animal science Vol. 75; no. 5; pp. 1409 - 1414
• Main Authors: Gelaye, S. (Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, GA.), Terrill, T, Amoah, E.A, Miller, S, Gates, R.N, Hanna, W.W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Savoy, IL Am Soc Animal Sci 01-05-1997; American Society of Animal Science; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Acetates - analysis; ACIDE GRAS VOLATIL; ACIDO GRASO VOLATIL; Animal productions; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Breastfeeding & lactation; CAPRIN; CAPRINOS; Diet - veterinary; DIETA; DIGESTIBILIDAD; DIGESTIBILITE; DIGESTION DU RUMEN; DIGESTION RUMINAL; Edible Grain - standards; EFFICACITE ALIMENTAIRE; EFICIENCIA DE CONVERSION DEL PIENSO; Fatty Acids, Volatile - analysis; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Feeds; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Goats; Goats - growth & development; Goats - physiology; INDICE DE CRECIMIENTO; INGESTION DE PIENSOS; Lactation - physiology; LAIT DE CHEVRE; LECHE DE CABRA; MAIS; MAIZ; Milk - chemistry; Nutrition; Nutritive Value; Panicum - standards; PENNISETUM GLAUCUM; PRISE ALIMENTAIRE (ANIMAUX); Propionates - analysis; Random Allocation; REGIME ALIMENTAIRE; RENDEMENT LAITIER; RENDIMIENTO LECHERO; Rumen - chemistry; TAUX DE CROISSANCE; Terrestrial animal productions; Urea - blood; VALEUR NUTRITIVE; VALOR NUTRITIVO; Vertebrates; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Zea mays - standards; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Feeding behavior; Millet; Animal feeding; Nutritive value; Goat; Artiodactyla; Ungulata; Feed intake; Feed; Digestibility
• ISSN: 0021-8812; 1525-3163; 0021-8812
• DOI: 10.2527/1997.7551409x

Studies were conducted to assess nutritional value of pearl millet grain (Pennisetum glaucum [L] R. Br.) for lactating and growing goats. Three complete diets containing either 40% corn, 40% pearl millet, or 40% corn and pearl millet mixed 1:1 (wt/wt) were balanced to contain 16% crude protein and 2.24 Mcal DE/kg on an air-dry basis. Forty-five does were blocked by kidding date and randomly assigned to diets for a 7-wk investigation. Feed intake and milk production were unaffected (P 0.25) by treatment, and they averaged 2.86 and 2.47 kg daily, respectively. Thirty-three growing goats were blocked by sex and fed the same diets for 15 wk. Daily growth rate and feed to gain ratio were depressed (P 0.05) by 25.4 and 19.0%, respectively, when corn was completely replaced with pearl millet. Digestion coefficients for DM, GE, CP, and NDF were reduced by over 10 percentage units with partial or complete replacement of corn by pearl millet. Ruminal acetate and ratio of acetate to propionate increased (P 0.05) but butyrate, propionate, and ammonia were depressed (P 0.05) with the pearl millet diets. Growing goats consumed 43 meals daily. They consumed 26.9, 32.6, 27.4, and 13.1% of their ration during the morning (0600 to 1200), afternoon (1200 to 1800), evening (1800 to 2400), and night (2400 to 0600), respectively. Pearl millet is a useful energy feed for mature, but not for growing, goats