Influence of Different Levels of Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica) on the Performance of Broiler Chicks

A day old broiler chicks (250) randomly divided in ten groups of 25 each, were fed diet replacing maize by foxtail millet quantitatively at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% level without fish meal in isocaloric and isonitrogenous ration. Each treatment had two replicates. In six weeks trial, the body weight gain was 737.40, 757.33, 788.69, 820.89 and 867.78 g, feed conversion ratio was 1.97, 2.13, 2.17, 2.30 and 2.39 and performance index was 374.31, 355.55, 363.45, 356.91 and 363.09 on 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% foxtail millet based ration, respectively. Body weight gain and FCR increased with increase in level of foxtail millet. The feed cost per kg ration in different treatments viz., T, T, T, T and T was Rs. 7.97, 7.82, 7.68, 7.53 and 7.39. Cost of production

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per kg live weight of broiler at 6 weeks of age among five treatments was Rs. 27.83, 28.46, 27.99, 28.21 and 27.95, respectively. It is concluded that maize can be replaced by foxtail millet up to 100 percent in broiler ration without effecting the cost.