Pearl millet in diets of White Pekin ducks

In two 21-d experiments, the performance, nutrient utilization, and carcass composition of ducks fed diets containing pearl millet were compared with those fed diets containing corn. Corn, in diets at two protein levels (22 vs 18% in Experiment I and 22 vs 16% in Experiment 2), was replaced by pearl millet either on an equal-weight or isonitrogenous basis. During the first 2 wk of the first experiment, corn diets compared on an isonitrogenous basis were superior (P < 0.05) to the millet diets in promoting weight gain (666 vs 633 g per duck) and feed consumption (965 vs 914 g per duck); but when compared on an equal-weight basis, the millet diets were similar to the corn diets in promoting growth. No significant differences were observed for weight gain, feed consumption, or feed efficiency at the end of 3 wk. Over the 21-d study, the higher protein diets were more efficiently (P