Effects of feeding stovers of pearl millet varieties on performances of sheep and goats in integrated crop-small ruminants production systems in the West African Sahel

Integrated crop-small ruminant production systems have been identified as one of the strategies to enhance food security among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. This study utilizes a combination of on-station and on-farm trials to investigate the effects of pearl millet stover on the performance of small ruminants and to identify the best cultivars that can be recommended to livestock farmers as suitable fodder for sheep and goats. Thirty castrated male Bali-Bali sheep and thirty male Sahel goats aged between 18 and 24 were randomly assigned to five treatments defined by the type of pearl millet stover variety fed as a basal diet. The findings revealed that the type of animal and cultivars significantly affected daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio, fecal output, and concentrations of OM, P, C, and N in feces (P < 0.05). Sheep fed with ICMV167005 stover had the highest (P < 0.05) average daily weight gain compared to animals in other treatments. On-farm evaluations by farmers indicated that ICMV167005 and Chakti were the best dual-purpose varieties. Their stovers are recommended to sheep and goats as quality fodder for increased growth performance and improved quality manure, which can be used to enhance soil fertility and crop yields. Key words: Crop-small ruminants’ production systems, dual-purpose pearl millet, sheep, goats, pearl millet stover, growth performance, participatory variety evaluation.