Cenchrus setiger is palatable. Its feed value is highest during the pre-flowering stage (65% in vivo DM digestibility), and much lower during the dry season (50%) (Cook et al., 2005).
Cattle
In steers grazing Cenchrus setiger pasture on sandy plains and dunes in Western Australia, an addition of phosphate resulted in an increase of live weight gain from 30 kg to 50 kg, equal to an increase from 72 kg to 116 kg/ha. A mineral supplement added to drinking water resulted in live weight gains reaching 146 kg/ha in the wet season (Holm et al., 1975 cited by FAO, 2010; Holm et al., 1980).
In the arid zone of Rajasthan, heifers grazing rangeland dominated by Cenchrus setiger and Aristida funiculata gained most weight in August-September, while in May-June the animals lost body weight (Mertia, 1991).
Sheep
In the arid zone of Rajasthan, Cenchrus setiger carried one sheep to 2.6 hectares in Jodhpur, and one to 6.0 hectares in Pali (FAO, 2010). Cenchrus setiger is one of the species that can be used to reseed the natural grassland in order to increase its carrying capacity (Patnayak, 1980). In the same region, the values for stocking rate, DM production, number of lambs and wool production per hectare were higher in a sown pasture of Cenchrus setiger/Cenchrus ciliaris/Lasiurus scindicus than in a Cenchrus setigerus/Cenchrus ciliaris pasture (Das et al., 1980; Bhati et al., 1983).
