Potential of Millets and Their By-Products as Feed Ingredients for Livestock, Poultry, and Fish
摘要
Being climate-resilient crops of small-seeded cereals of the grass family Poaceae, millets have been valued as a nutritious food for humans since ancient times and—to a varied extent—have also been explored as animal feedstuffs. Among all millet crops, the major millets, namely, sorghum, pearl millet, and finger millet, have been extensively studied in animal feeding as against other minor and pseudomillets. In case of ruminants, millets serve as both energy concentrates (grains) and forages (green, silage, and dry); however, these are used primarily as energy sources for monogastrics like poultry (broilers and layers), swine (pigs), rabbits, pet animals (dogs and cats), and fish. To this end, the present chapter aims to provide a comprehensive overview on the feeding value of millets as feeds, fodders, and functional ingredients for use in animal nutrition while also delineating their effects on various production performance and economics.