How to Feed Millet to Livestock

Millet is a fast-growing cereal plant commonly used as a feed for cattle, sheep and swine. Similar to oats and barley in feeding value, millet contains high amounts of protein and fiber. Millet performs best when fed to livestock in addition to other cereal grains and hays. Livestock should be fed fresh feed and water daily. Keep the trowels of feed in shaded, open areas and provide easy access to all animals.

Things You'll Need

  • Proso millet
  • Feeding buckets/trowels
  • Protein mixture
  • Vitamin and mineral mixture
  • Cereal grain
  • Salt
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Instructions

  1. Beef Cattle

    • 1

      Combine 4 pounds of millet with 20 pounds of hay per cow. Mix the millet and hay together. Pour the mixture into large buckets or trowels.

    • 2

      Reduce the quantity of hay fed to the cattle each day while increasing the amount of millet. Add an additional 1 pound of millet each day while removing 1 pound of hay. This technique is ideal when introducing millet to cattle.

    • 3

      Continue adding millet while removing hay each day until the ratio becomes 22 pounds of millet to 3 pound of hay.

    Dairy Cows

    • 4

      Determine the approximate weight of each dairy cow. Add all of the weights to determine the combined weight of the herd. Between 2 and 2.5 percent of the combined weight is the total amount of millet required for the herd.

    • 5

      Add protein cubes and a vitamin mixture to the feed daily, following the manufacturer's instructions. Choose a protein mixture and mineral and vitamin mixture specified for dairy cows.

    • 6

      Pour the millet, protein and vitamin mixture into large feeding buckets or trowels. Keep hay feeders full of fresh hay to balance the cows' diet. Set out clean water daily to help soften the grains in the stomachs of the cows.

    Swine

    • 7

      Feed swine a half-and-half mixture of barley or corn millet with a quality cereal grain. Add a vitamin and mineral mixture to the feed, following the manufacturer's instructions.

    • 8

      Give swine between 5 and 8 weeks of age 1 pound of feed per day. Give swine between 40 and 125 pounds an average of 4 or 5 pounds of feed per day. Swine weighing between 125 and 240 pounds require 7 pounds of feed per day.

    • 9

      Weigh the swine at regular intervals to determine if they are gaining sufficient weight. Adjust their feed consumption if needed. Hogs are typically marketed when they reach a final weight of between 220 and 260 pounds.

    Sheep

    • 10

      Offer sheep free access to the pasture for their primary source of feed. Grass is the most natural food source. Hay and grain can be supplemented for forage is needed.

    • 11

      Feed sheep 2 pounds of hay per day per sheep. Provide each sheep with one-half pound of millet each day. Additional millet can be added during periods of breeding, pregnancy and lactation.

    • 12

      Combine a vitamin and mineral mixture to the millet daily, following the manufacturer's instructions. Free-choice salt may also be given to sheep daily.