Millets and Sustainable Livestock Feed: A Greener Alternative for Animal Nutrition

Indian agrifood systems are finding new ways to improve crop yields and livestock nutrition for the growing population.

Climate change is another challenge that makes millet agriculture a perfect solution for a sustainable, multi-purpose crop system.

Most millet has succulent stalks, which are used as animal feed. In fact, crops like sorghum (jowar) and pearl millet (bajra) are sometimes grown only for the fodder they provide

Such a cost-effective, dual approach to millets will allow farmers to affordably meet the increasing demand for animal fodder. It will also help them to diversify their production and increase their earning potential without relying only on agriculture.

In this blog, you will explore using millet as an alternative livestock feed to reduce environmental impact. We will also compare millet-based feed with other traditional options. This will allow us to understand better their different aspects, including nutrition, cost-effectiveness, and environmental consequences.

The Role of Millets in Reducing the Environmental Impact of Livestock Feed

While we discuss the potential of millet-based supplements for livestock, let’s understand why they are necessary for animal husbandry in India.

1. By the middle of this century, the rising sea levels and extreme weather events will last longer than before. As a result, both crop and livestock production will suffer.  ^[1]
2. Green fodder, dry fodder, and concentrate for animal fodder are currently in short supply at 11%, 23%, and 28%, respectively. ^[2]
3. Therefore, efforts to cultivate “super-food crops of the future” have become desperately urgent.
4. Millet crops have several advantages over traditional staples, such as maise, making them a sustainable livestock feed alternative.
5. They are eco-friendly because they grow in half the time of wheat and use 70% less water than rice. Also, they save 40% in energy expenditure compared to rice and wheat for processing. ^[3]

When thinking about millet for animal use, it is essential to remember that they have been a part of our diet for centuries. However, with the growing popularity of paddy, the percentage of human consumption fell from 20% in the 1960s to 6% until 2023. ^[4] This has resulted in fibre deficiency being a common issue among Indians.

Therefore, the experts at Aashirvaad have developed a ‘My Meal Plan’ test. It measures your day-to-day fibre intake and provides an overall plan of what you should eat.

Do you think you are getting enough fibre daily?

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Studies on Millets as Livestock Feed

Millet has been widely studied for its potential as animal feed for different livestock species. Hence, in this section, we will discuss why millet-based fodders can be fed to dairy cattle, poultry, chicken, and goats.

1. Dairy Cattle

Feeding dairy cows finger millet (ragi) improves their health and reproduction. It is especially beneficial for cows with high urea and nitrogen levels in their blood.

When it is still green, the finger millet (ragi) hay can be used to feed cattle, crossbred dairy cows, sheep, or goats. It contains methionine that helps cows digest food, birth healthier calves and produce more milk. Along with a balanced concentrate mix, this diet can support 8-9 kg of milk yield. ^[5]

Under one study, experts found that feeding 1-2 kg of ragi daily for 2-3 months raises reproductive performance. They provided ragi grain supplementation during early to middle lactation for 90 days under normal feeding conditions. It increased milk yield (average 1.9 litre/cow/day), fat and solid non-fat content and decreased milk urea content. ^[6]

Consuming milk from well-fed cows provides rich nutrients that contribute to our overall physical, emotional, and mental wellness.

In line with this, India’s next green revolution’s nutrition focus indicates new nourishment challenges. They are hidden hunger caused by micronutrient deficiencies and food quality as a result of modern food processing techniques.

Knowing proper nutrition can take a lot of work in our urban lifestyles. Therefore, Aashirvaad offers personalised Dietician Consultations to help guide you on your food and nutrition journey.

Our health experts will provide a detailed explanation of how to plan meals that fit your dietary needs.

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2. Poultry

Although finger millet (ragi) is not a common ingredient in poultry feed, broiler diets can substitute maise yield with this grain. Also, broiler chicken’s performance was enhanced with the increased replacement ratio of maise with proso millet (chena or barri). ^[7]

Millets-based animal foods do not harm their growth and immunity and also reduce meat fat deposition. This multi-purpose finger and proso millet makes it a promising addition to new feed materials.

3. Goats

Sorghum (jowar) silage has a higher neutral detergent fibre (NDF) content, which makes it more “rumen filling” than corn silage. This reduces total diet intake and can benefit livestock like cattle and goats.

For instance, incorporating sorghum (jowar) in goat diets has been shown to cause weight gain of 66 g/d. It can also replace about 70% of corn in broiler and layer rations without affecting production. ^[8]

This sort of flexibility in the use of feeds indicates the advantages of millets in animal husbandry.

The Benefit of a Millet-Based Diet for Livestock

Millets offer a promising alternative to traditional livestock feeds by providing numerous benefits. Here’s how millets can help reduce the environmental impact of animal husbandry:

1. Millets can be grown in different climatic regions and are highly water-efficient crops. Due to the limited usage of agrochemicals, they have a much smaller environmental footprint than paddy crops like rice or maise.
2. It creates a sustainable value chain in animal husbandry to benefit both the farmer and people in general.
3. The higher protein, fibre, and essential minerals concentration in millet provide more nutrition per 100 gm of dry matter. Thus, it makes them a good choice for livestock feeding. ^[9]
4. Being cheaper to produce by volume and with better nutrition, millets are an environmentally friendly alternative in areas with poor grass.
5. The digestibility of millet protein is better than that of traditional animal fodders.

Millets are well-known for their low acidity. They are also a prebiotic that improves the micro flora of the human intestine as well.

They help lower cholesterol and keep the colon moist, thus aiding digestion. However, with our hectic lifestyles, digestive problems have become common. Hence, we have created the Digestive Quotient test.

Aashirvaad’s expert team of nutritionists has developed this simple two-minute test to assess your digestive health score.

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A Comparative Analysis of Millet-Based Feeds vs. Traditional Feeds

Millets are appreciated for their unique characteristics as animal feed. Their high yield, resistance to pests and diseases, and safety in storage greatly benefit farmers.

Millets last a long time, even under normal storage conditions. Therefore, farmers refer to them as ‘famine reserves.’

When it comes to animal feeding, the intermediate texture is more suitable than the corneous and floury texture. It is also more digestible than highly cross-linked starches, which is good for animal health.

Millets are also rich in necessary nutrients, making them an ideal choice for animal feed. For example, finger millet (ragi) is very high in calcium, foxtail millet (navane) has high fibres, while sorghum (jowar) provides potassium and phosphorus. Their nutritious blend contains essential minerals such as magnesium, B vitamins, and amino acids. ^{[10] [11] [12] [13]}

The essential nutritional content of millets (per 100g) is:

• Protein: 7-12%
• Fat: 2-5%
• Carbohydrates: 65-75%
• Dietary Fibre: 8-15%

Nutritional Composition of Millets vs. Traditional Animal Feeds (Dry Maise)

Different kinds of millet have various levels of nutrients. The following table compares the nutrition levels of millet to traditional animal fodder per 100g edible portion. ^{[10] [11] [12] [13] [14]}

Just like animals, millet is beneficial for humans, too.

Eating whole-grain cereals in daily meals can protect against diabetes, digestive disorders, and cardiovascular disease. Thus, it is essential to establish healthful eating habits now. ^[15]

That’s the reason why Aashirvaad has produced Multi Millet Mix Flour. It is made from sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), foxtail millet (navane), finger millet (ragi), and more.

It combines the best flavour and health benefits for your favourite dishes like Missi roti, parathas, or pancakes.

Get home your Aashirvaad Multi Millet Mix Flour and enjoy the taste with health.

Millets: The Future of Sustainable Livestock Farming

In India, millet can serve as the best alternative to traditional animal feeds. In addition to their drought-tolerant nature, decreased dependence on agrochemicals and lower cost add to their value profile.

Compared with traditional feeds for cattle and poultry, millets have high protein content, digestibility, and micronutrient profile. Moreover, they have a direct transformative effect on human health through nutrient-dense animal-based foods.

As such, millet is an attractive alternative to livestock feed for small farmers. Using millet in animal husbandry will create a sustainable value chain that supports livelihoods and adds to food security for all.

By encouraging the incorporation of millets into animal husbandry practices in India, we can shift towards more sustainable, climate-smart agriculture.