Goden millet is a relatively high yielding quality forage for ruminants. 

Palatability and intake

Compared to Brachiaria brizantha and Megathyrsus maximus, Setaria sphacelata cv. Kazungula had the lowest DM percentage year-round and the smallest leaf blade during spring and summer. This can limit its intake by ruminants, especially during the rainy season (Sánchez et al., 1996; Gerdes et al., 2000a; Gerdes et al., 2000b). Compared to Narok and Nandi, Kazungula was the least acceptable cultivar as it flowered early in the growing season and remained stemmy for a long period (Jones et al., 2003).

Nutritive value

Early trials found OM digestibility of golden millet to be quite high, in the 65-75% range, even for mature grass (Butterworth, 1963; Van Wyk et al., 1951). In sacco DM digestibility of Setaria sphacelata cv. Splenda after 14 days of regrowth in cycle 1 (65.1%) is similar to that of Urochloa pullulans, Megathyrsus maximus cv. Riverdale and Digitaria milanjiana. In cycle 2, it was similar (55.3%) to that of Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk, D. milanjiana and Cenchrus ciliaris, and lower than that of M. maximus. It was always higher than that of Imperata cylindrica var. Maiwa or Heteropogon contortus (Bulo et al., 1994). The in sacco degradability of cultivar Nandi is higher than that of cultivars Kazungula and Narok, because its cell wall fraction was more digested, which means that it has a lower rumen fill (Singh et al., 1992).

Pasture

Beef production

Golden millet has a good potential for grazing beef cows. In particular, the Narok cultivar, which is more tolerant to frost than Nandi or Kazungula cultivars, allowed a higher liveweight gain/ha (822 kg) than Kazungula (568 kg) (Evans et al., 1992a; Evans et al., 1992b; Hacker et al., 1992). In Queensland (Australia), steers continuously grazing golden millet fertilized with 330 kg/ha N, and stocked at about 3 steers per hectare, produced liveweight gains of 500-800 kg/ha/year (Cook et al., 2005). In subtropical Australia, well-fertilized golden millet pastures sustained continuous stocking rates of up to 6 steers per hectare (Hacker, 1992). Similar stocking rates could be anticipated in tropical regions without a pronounced dry/cold season. In Kenya, cattle grazing unfertilized Nandi cv. were reported to gain 336 kg/ha/year (Skerman et al., 1990). In Parana (Brazil), golden millet cv. Kazungula was compared to six other grasses pastured by finishing beef cattle. With an average gain per animal of 223 kg/ha/year, it was inferior to all other grasses (Postiglioni, 2000).

Golden millet cv. Kazungula is a successful forage grass if rotationally grazed with 1.5 and 1.0 animals/ha in the wet and dry seasons respectively (Gonçalves et al., 1988). Golden millet cv. Narok had higher yields with higher sward heights and more seed heads when rotationally grazed, compared to continuously grazed pasture. However, the liveweight gains were not different for the two types of management (Jones et al., 1989).

Breeding livestock

In New Zealand, the introduction of 10% or 30% farm area in golden millet reduced total pasture supply slightly during winter and spring, but doubled (10%) and nearly tripled (30%) summer supply. Stocking rates could subsequently be increased by 22% and 25% for the 10% and 30% golden millet scenarios, respectively. Golden millet was recommended to sustain breeding stock liveweights during periods of scarcity (dry periods). It was particularly effective for breeding cows as breeding ewes could not control stem growth of golden millet (Boom et al., 1996).

Dairy cattle

In Costa Rica, golden millet (Setaria sphacelata cv. White or cv. Purple) met the energy requirement for a cow to produce about 7 kg milk/day, as energy is the most limiting nutrient for milk production (Sánchez et al., 1999). With a supplement of 0.25 kg feed per litre of milk produced, golden millet (Setaria sphacelata cv. Sericea) had the same nutritive value as elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) (Olivo et al., 1992).

In Fiji, a supplementation of concentrate with molasses included at 5 to 10% of the diet increased milk yield, fat corrected milk, body condition score and apparent nutrient digestibility of setaria grass pasture (Tamani Eroni et al., 2006). A level above 10% molasses in the concentrate was not nutritionally and economically suitable for lactating dairy cows, as digestibility tended to decrease and health problems might appear (Tamani Eroni et al., 2006).

In Minas Gerais (Brazil), cows grazing a golden millet pasture at a stocking rate of 2.3/ha with daily access to Lolium multiflorum pasture for 3 hours produced 11 to 12 kg milk daily without concentrate supplements. There was no difference in milk yield, quality of diet selected or liveweight of cows on golden millet pasture at forage availability (FA) 1500, 1800, 2500 or 2800 kg DM/ha. At lower FA values stalk to leaf ratio increased, and the protein content and the digestibility of available forage increased (Alvim et al., 1995).

In a trial in Malaysia, intake of golden millet by dairy cows managed in rotational grazing was higher than intake in a cut-and-carry system (Wan Hassan et al., 1989). Grazing cows had a higher milk yield than pen-fed cows (1365 vs. 1067 kg/lactation) but dairy performance was lower than that obtained with a mixture of signal grass (Brachiaria decumbens) and leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala).

Sheep

Golden millet cv. Kazungula can be used for growing lambs after weaning. Mean slaughter weight, dressing percentages and wool yield were similar for animals grazing either native or golden millet cultivated pastures, but meat and wool yield/ha were greater on golden millet pasture, because of a higher stocking rate (Silva et al., 1987). Supplementation of golden millet with either cassava leaves or gliricidia leaves (Gliricidia sepium) improved intake and digestibility of diets and thus had a significant effect on liveweight gain (Sitorus, 1989).

Goats

In growing Nubian crossbed goats, the nutritive value of pastures of golden millet was lower than that of pangola grass (Digitaria decumbens), elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) and Guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus) as the average daily weight gain was respectively 34, 47, 47 and 45 g/day (Hsieh et al., 1990). Supplementation with concentrates increased growth performance (Hsieh, 1996).

Fresh forage

In growing bulls, supplementation with molasses (10%) of a mixture of golden millet and leucaena (1:1 DM basis) increased significantly DM intake, DM digestibility and liveweight gain (419 g/day vs. 292 g/day) of initial liveweight of 123 kg (Huque et al., 1995).

Silage

The improvement of the quite low nutritive value of golden millet could be achieved with the inclusion at ensiling of either high-protein tree leaves or small amounts of molasses (Tjandraatmadja et al., 1994). In a trial with sheep, golden millet cv. Kazungula was ensiled with either molasses (4%, w/w fresh basis), or with young leaves and shoots of Leucaena leucocephala or Gliricidia sepium (33%, w/w fresh basis), or with a mixture of legumes and molasses. Compared to hay alone, the addition of legumes and/or molasses increased the intake and the digestibility of the diet. The greatest improvement was obtained with a mixture of gliricidia and molasses. Liveweight change in sheep was correlated with intakes of digestible DM and N intake (Tjandraatmadja et al., 1993).