Pearl millet in diets of white Pekin ducks

In two 21-d experiments, the performance, nutrient utilization, and carcass composition of ducks fed diets containing pearl millet were compared with those fed diets containing corn. Corn, in diets at two protein levels (22 vs 18% in Experiment 1 and 22 vs 16% in Experiment 2), was replaced by pearl millet either on an equal-weight or isonitrogenous basis. During the first 2 wk of the first experiment, corn diets compared on an isonitrogenous basis were superior (P < .05) to the millet diets in promoting weight gain (666 vs 633 g per duck) and feed consumption (965 vs 914 g per duck); but when compared on an equal-weight basis, the millet diets were similar to the corn diets in promoting growth. No significant differences were observed for weight gain, feed consumption, or feed efficiency at the end of 3 wk. Over the 21-d study, the higher protein diets were more efficiently (P < .05) converted to weight gain than the lower protein diets (.63 vs .60 g gain:g feed). Carcass protein in ducks fed the corn diets was greater (P < .05) than in those fed the pearl millet diets. In Experiment 2, growth performance differences across dietary protein levels were similar to those in Experiment 1. However in contrast to Experiment 1, feed consumption was similar for corn and pearl millet diets (776 vs 786 g per duck, respectively), and ducks fed the corn diets gained less (P < .05) than those fed the pearl millet diets (590 vs 622 g per duck) during the first 2 wk of Experiment 2. Results of the nutrient utilization trial conducted at the end of Experiment 2 revealed that diets containing pearl millet were higher (P < .05) in AME than those containing corn (3,300 vs 3,100 kcal/kg). These results indicate that pearl millet has a higher energy value and appears to be at least equal to corn in promoting weight gains in ducks.