Effect of grinding on apparent and true digestibilities of amino acids of pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoides) in adult roosters

The present study was designed to determine the apparent and true digestibility of amino acids of pearl millet in adult cockerels. The test ingredient was offered as per Farrell's rapid ME method either as whole grain or as ground grain to six cockerels each. The apparent digestibilities of most of the amino acids of whole grains were significantly higher than those of broken grains. The true digestibility of cystine, lysine and histidine of whole grain was significantly (P<0.05) higher than those observed in broken pearl millet grain. However, the digestibilities of remaining twelve amino acids studied were similar in whole as well as broken pearl millet grain. Overall the amino acid digestibility of pearl millet was comparable to the true digestibilities of amino acids of other cereal grains such as maize and white sorghum. The present investigation revealed that pearl millet grain can be offered as a whole rather than coarse grain, since grinding neither improves the amino acid digestibility value nor reduces the feed cost.