Santos et al., 2008. Rev. Bras. Zootec., 37 (10): 1884-1889

The objective of the study was to evaluate the feed intake and apparent digestibility of nutrients in the diets of sheep containing finger millet grain (Eleusine coracana). 20 lambs, 18.90 kg BW, were used in a completely randomized design with five diets and four replications. The animals were fed isoprotein diets formulated with 0.0, 16.0, 32.5, 48.0 and 67.0% finger millet grain in substitution of corn meal with 50:50 forage to concentrate ratio (%DM). The levels of finger millet grain did not affect the intake of DM, TDN and NDF. Dry matter intake was 1.2 kg/animal/day and 3.2% BW. The coefficient of apparent digestibility of DM and NDT linearly decreased at 0.1425 and 0.1612%, respectively, for each 1% finger millet grain in the concentrate which was related to higher levels of NDF and NDFi in the feed. The digestibility coefficients of OM and NDF were maximum at 57.64 and 53.60% at the levels of 42.36 and 39.56% finger millet grain in the concentrate. Apparent digestibility of CP and EE were 56.90 and 66.86%, respectively. The replacement of corn meal per finger millet grain in the diet of sheep did not affect the dry matter intake of nutrients, but reduced the digestibility of DM, OM, total carbohydrates and TDN. It is suggested that 50% of corn meal can be replaced by finger millet grain in the diet of sheep.