Feeding Cottonseed Meal to Cattle
- Dry-extruded cottonseed cake replaces soybean meal. The use of dry-extruded cottonseed cake in the diet of cattle can...
- Whole cottonseed is a high-protein source. A major benefit of whole cottonseed for cattle is that it contains a...
- Weaned calves can be fed cottonseed meal. There are many options for early weaning calves, including...
Can you feed cottonseed to cattle?
Feeding whole cottonseed to beef cattle can be an economical and effective way to supplement energy, fat, and protein in their diets. As cotton is ginned, lint, debris, and cottonseed are separated.
How to use cotton byproducts in beef cattle?
4 Using Cotton Byproducts in Beef Cattle Diets. Cottonseed meal is often mixed with salt in a 2:1 ratio and fed as a protein supplement to mature cows. Intake of this mix will be approximately 3 pounds per day. In addition, cottonseed meal can be mixed with salt and fed as a high protein creep feed to nursing calves.
How much cottonseed meal replaces corn in a corn-based finishing diet?
Four concentrations (8, 16, 24, and 32% of diet DM) of cottonseed meal (CSM, prepressed solvent-extracted) replaced steam-flaked corn in a corn-based finishing diet. Increasing level of CSM decreased ADG (l …
How do you feed hay to a lactating cow?
For most of the hay produced in Alabama, daily supplementation with 7 pounds of whole cottonseed would provide adequate energy and protein to a lactating cow. The seed should be fed in bunks or troughs; however, it can be fed on clean sod on a daily or every other day basis.
How do you feed whole cottonseed to cattle?
The high fat/oil content of whole cottonseed could result in diarrhea if fed at high levels. As with any new feed, cattle may have to be enticed to eat cottonseed, which can be done by top dressing it with molasses or other palatable feed. Cottonseed can be fed without feed processing.
How much cottonseed do you feed cattle?
Limit feeding whole cottonseed to about 6.0 pounds per cow per day since the fat content is 18 percent. Six pounds of whole cottonseed will yield approximately 1.0 pounds of fat, which is about the maximum recommended from oilseeds.
What does cottonseed meal do for cattle?
Cottonseed meal is primarily used in the beef and dairy cattle industry as a source of fiber in feed rations. With a protein level of 41%, cottonseed meal is a great source of energy and nutrition. It is also used as a soil conditioner and natural source of nitrogen for gardens and landscapes.
What livestock eats cottonseed meal?
Whole cottonseed meal can be fed to ruminant animals such as cattle, goats, and sheep. Oil can also be extracted from the cottonseeds. (Before World War II, cottonseed oil was the major vegetable oil produced in the United States.)
What cattle feed is high in protein?
The most common protein sources available in the Western U.S. include soybean meal and alfalfa hay.
Can calves eat cottonseed?
It is not recommended that calves be fed cottonseed before they have a well developed rumen. These problems have been seen primarily in early weaned calves. Young calves will not eat enough cottonseed to present a problem when lactating cows are supplemented with the recommended level.
When should I apply cottonseed meal?
For established lawn care, use cottonseed meal as fertilizer in the spring. Apply cottonseed meal or a mix of ¾ cottonseed meal and ¼ turf grass fertilizer in the amount of 4 to 5 pounds (2 kg.) per 100 square (30 m.) feet.
Is cottonseed high in protein?
Whole cottonseed has high protein (23%), high energy in the form of fat (20%), and crude fiber (24%) on a dry matter basis.
Can cottonseed get wet?
Cottonseed can combust spontaneously if stored wet or stacked too high (more than 5 m). The moisture level at the time of purchasing should be 14% or less. If cottonseed gets wet, there is the risk of fungal growth and aflatoxins have been isolated.
Can you feed cottonseed to bulls?
Dr Perry and Paul Cusack's research concluded that the feeding of whole cottonseed and cottonseed meal may affect bull fertility but not if sufficient minerals are also supplied in the diet or in the water supply e.g in artesian bore water.
How long does cottonseed last?
one to two yearsIf stored properly, whole cottonseed can last one to two years under dry conditions before feed out.
How much does cottonseed meal cost?
Cottonseed Meal 50 lb.1 - 9 units$19.50 ea.10 + units$18.50 ea.
What is difference between cotton seed and seed cotton?
Related Definitions Seed Cotton means cotton as it comes from the field prior to ginning. Seed Cotton means raw cotton containing seed and lint that has been harvested from a field, but has not been ginned. Seed Cotton means the lint and seed derived from the ball of the Gossypium plant.
Is cottonseed high in protein?
Whole cottonseed has high protein (23%), high energy in the form of fat (20%), and crude fiber (24%) on a dry matter basis.
How much protein is in a whole cottonseed?
Cottonseed can run from 17% to 26% total protein in the whole seed. Cottonseed meal has a protein level of 41% total protein. When the hulls and oil are extracted the meal is left. The protein content seems to be higher in plants that had plenty of moisture during the growing season.
What are some good supplements for cottonseed?
So grains, molasses, natural protein sources, and good quality hay, all can complement cottonseed as an energy source if needed. The final component of whole cottonseed that makes it a good supplement is the fiber component. The hulls surrounding the seed is the source of cottonseed hulls.
What is the oil in cottonseed?
The oil, or fat, that is naturally in cottonseed is the source of this high energy level. The oil analyses that I have seen over the years have run from 15 to 22% crude fat, the measurement for oils in seeds and plants.
What are the disadvantages of cottonseed?
One of the main disadvantages of whole cottonseed is that most of the protein is in an undegradable form. As you should remember, protein has two factions depending on where it is metabolized by a ruminant. Degradable protein is the faction used by the microorganism in the rumen to create microbial protein.
How do producers feed?
Some producers feed by estimating how many pounds are in a scoop and feeding with that. Other producers use buckets or trash cans. They estimate the weight in each container to figure out how much to feed at a time. Most everyone feeds cottonseed to sheep, goats, and deer on the ground.
Can cottonseed be used as a protein source?
So using cottonseed as the sole protein source can, with diets with low degradable protein values, result in protein deficiencies in the rumen of your livestock. To correct protein deficiencies feed a combination of a highly degradable protein sources. Some examples of a highly degradable protein source are urea.
Is cottonseed a good supplement?
Cottonseed As a Supplement. Upland cottonseed is one of the best supplements, from a nutritional standpoint, that I have ever seen. It has a moderate protein level. It also has a high energy level derived from fat instead of starch and a moderate fiber level. Store it on the ground.
Is cottonseed good for livestock?
No other feed that we normally use in livestock production can come close to the energy value of cottonseed. Soybeans are close, however, they require roasting to get the full benefit of the amino acids. The oil, or fat, that is naturally in cottonseed is the source of this high energy level.
What is cottonseed used for?
Many cattle producers have used whole cottonseed as a supplement for beef cattle for many years. This year may be a good year to revisit whole cottonseed if you have reduced your usage as a result of it’s cost. Cottonseed contains abundant amounts of energy and is also a very good source of protein. It will typically contain greater than 90% TDN and approximately 24% crude protein. The limiting factor for its use in beef cattle diets is the fat content, which is approximately 20%. In general, mature cows can be fed 6 to 8 pounds per day while replacement heifers and stocker steers should be limited to about 4 to5 pounds per day. For most of the hay produced in Alabama, daily supplementation with 7 pounds of whole cottonseed would provide adequate energy and protein to a lactating cow. The seed should be fed in bunks or troughs; however, it can be fed on clean sod on a daily or every other day basis. Whole cottonseed also can be offered in feeders containing a 3 to 4 day supply at a time. Once cattle are adapted to whole cottonseed the fat content becomes an intake limiter. Note. It should not be fed in self feeders with a V-shape because the fuzzy seed will bridge and cattle will not have continual access to the feed. For this same reason, cottonseed will need to be stored in a covered shed or feed bay and not in feed bins. Fuzzy seed will not auger or gravity-flow very well. Seed is generally handled with front-end loaders or by hand.
Can cottonseed be fed in a self feeder?
Note. It should not be fed in self feeders with a V-shape because the fuzzy seed will bridge and cattle will not have continual access to the feed. For this same reason, cottonseed will need to be stored in a covered shed or feed bay and not in feed bins. Fuzzy seed will not auger or gravity-flow very well.
Feeding Whole Cottonseed
There are a few things to consider before feeding whole cottonseed to cattle. (Progressive Farmer image by Jim Patrico)
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I love whole cottonseed (WCS), but there are some issues with it that need consideration.
How to feed cottonseed to cows?
Hand feeding whole cottonseed in a trough each day prevents over-consumption and is the most ideal method of feeding. Provide at least 2 feet of bunk space per cow so all cows will be able to eat at the same time.
What do cattle eat in winter?
For example, cattle can eat many cotton production byproducts that remain in the field after harvest, including cottonseed, cottonseed meal, cottonseed hulls, gin trash and cotton stalk residue. Cottonseed, cottonseed meal and cottonseed hulls are widely used as feed ingredients in beef cattle diets. Although cattle producers do not commonly use gin trash or cotton stalk residue, they also can be fed as the sole feedstuff or with little supple-mentation.
What is the best protein for beef cattle?
Cottonseed meal is a common source of protein in beef cattle diets and is usually cheaper than soybean meal. Cottonseed meal contains 45 percent protein on a dry matter basis and is an excellent source of supplemental phosphorus (1.2 percent). Soybean meal has about 17 percent more protein than cottonseed meal; however, it is often 25 to 35 percent more ex-pensive than cottonseed meal. Cottonseed meal also has similar rates of protein degradability as soybean meal and can replace the soybean meal in most diets, except for young calves under 4 months of age. An al-ternative protein source should be fed to these calves.Cottonseed meal is often mixed with salt in a 2:1 ratio and fed as a protein supplement to mature cows. Intake of this mix will be approximately 3 pounds per day. In addition, cottonseed meal can be mixed with salt and fed as a high protein creep feed to nursing calves. The creep feed supplement should contain ap-proximately 8 to 10 percent salt. It may be necessary to mix only 2 to 3 percent salt to encourage calves to eat the feed initially.
What are cotton byproducts?
Cotton byproducts offer a variety of feed ingredients that can lower the cost of beef cattle production. Cotton-seed meal and whole cottonseed can be used in rations for any class of cattle. Gin trash and cottonseed hulls are low-energy feedstuffs that are used as a roughage source in high energy diets or as a partial energy replace-ment in mature cow diets. Cotton stalk residue can maintain a dry pregnant cow and will provide enough grazing for approximately 1 month if left standing or for three weeks if mowed prior to grazing. A reduction in fertility should not be a concern when recommended feeding rates are followed.
What is cotton gin trash used for?
Cotton gin trash can be used as a roughage source in feedlot diets. Inclusion rate should be 5 to 10 percent of diet dry matter. Higher rates are not recommended in feedlot diets due to low energy content. Stocker cattle require moderate rates of gain, and research has evaluated cotton gin trash at significant portions of the diet for stocker calves. In a Georgia trial, cotton gin trash was fed at 76, 67, 55 and 43 percent of the diet, with the remainder of the diet being corn. Feed-ing gin trash at 43 percent of the diet with 57 percent corn dramatically reduced diet digestibility compared with other diets. Stocker calves need to gain at least 1.5 pounds per day to be profitable. It is unlikely, however, that daily gains of steer calves could be maintained above 1.5 pounds per day on any of the experimental diets because of insufficient energy intake. The only viable use of gin trash for growing cattle appears to be as a roughage source in high con-centrate diets.
Do you mow cotton stalks after harvest?
Most cotton producers prefer to mow cotton stalks soon after harvest, in part to comply with boll weevil eradication programs. The residue, however, may be trampled or deteriorate more rapidly than standing cotton stalk residue. One Georgia study compared the number of grazing days between standing cotton stalk residue and residue mowed prior to grazing.
Can you crack cottonseed?
There is no advantage to cracking or grinding whole cottonseed, and it should be fed whole. Do not store cottonseed in a grain bin since it is very bulky and will not flow through an augur system. Whole cotton-seed is most easily handled with a scoop or front-end loader.
What do cows eat?
Most of a cow’s life is spent eating grasses and hay. During the spring and summer, when the grass grows plentifully, beef cattle eat more pasture grasses. During the late fall and through the winter cattle are fed hay. In a perfect world, this rotation—grass in the growing season and hay through the fall and winter—would be enough.
What to do if cattle have insufficient forage?
With insufficient forage, cattle need feed. You should take action right away if you know that your herd’s grazing will be limited. You could simply reduce the number of cows in your herd, which would immediately reduce the amount of supplemental feeding the remaining cows require.
Why do cows need cubes?
Cattle Cubes. Cattle cubes help your herd maintain both their weight and condition because they are formulated to supplement fair and low-quality forage. Cattle cubes provide the protein, minerals, and vitamins a cow’s forage sometimes lacks. Cattle cubes come in several different sizes, making them easier for your cattle to eat.
Why is pelleted feed digestible?
Another reason pelleted cattle feed is more digestible is the thermal process used to manufacture it. The thermal process locks in amino acids and other nutrients, providing better nutritional benefits for your cattle.
What is textured feed?
Textured cattle feed is made from flaked corn, molasses, protein pellets, and several other energy sources. It is also fortified with macro and micronutrients, vitamins, and other natural ingredients. Because it contains molasses, textured cattle feed is often referred to as “sweet feed.” Today’s textured cattle feed, which uses less molasses than in the past, still provides an advantage; it makes the feed more palatable, which is good news for your cattle.
What are cattle cubes?
Cattle cubes come in several different sizes, making them easier for your cattle to eat. Most cattle cubes contain 20% crude protein but also can be found in higher protein percentages. TIP: To reduce competition among your herd, your best choice is to feed them with ground, free-choice cattle cubes.
Why is it important to have enough forage for cattle?
The quantity of forage available to your herd is paramount to their health and longevity. With insufficient forage, cattle need feed. You should take action right away if you know that your herd’s grazing will be limited.
