What is Whole Cottonseed?
Whole cottonseed (WCS) is a by-product of the cotton-gin industry and a good source of protein, energy, and fiber for ruminants. Due to its high fat and protein content, it is classified as a concentrate feed. Its fibre is similar to that of forages in terms of effectiveness in the rumen. The nutritional value depends on growing conditions, seed composition, ginning technologies, and lint proportion.
Nutritional Composition
Whole cottonseed contains approximately 23% crude protein, 16-21% fat, 35% acid detergent fiber (ADF), and 45-48% neutral detergent fiber (NDF). It provides 89-93% total digestible nutrients (TDN), making it an excellent energy source for high-producing dairy cows. It also contains essential minerals like phosphorus (0.53-0.63%), calcium (0.22-0.23%), and potassium (1.3%). The fatty acid profile includes 56% linoleic acid, 24% palmitic acid, and 15% oleic acid.
Feeding Recommendations
Nutritionists recommend feeding whole cottonseed at about 0.5% of body weight, or 2.3 to 3.2 kg per cow daily. Feeding up to 2.9 kg of cottonseed dry matter per cow per day did not affect calving intervals or health issues like displaced abomasum, ketosis, milk fever, or retained placenta. WCS maintained milk yield and composition when fed up to 9.9% of diet dry matter to multiparous cows.
Understanding Gossypol Safety
Whole cottonseed contains gossypol, a natural toxin produced by cotton plants. However, ruminants can detoxify gossypol in the rumen, preventing its absorption into the blood. Non-ruminants and pre-ruminants are more susceptible. For breeding bulls, it is recommended to avoid feeding WCS 60-90 days before the breeding season to prevent potential fertility issues. Heat treatment can reduce free gossypol levels and improve digestibility.
Benefits for Dairy Cattle
Research shows that cottonseed cake increases milk production, improves weight gain, reduces the risk of metabolic diseases (ketosis, milk fever), and improves reproductive performance in cattle. It is also a cost-effective alternative to soybean meal in ruminant diets. Studies confirm that cottonseed cake can replace up to 100% of soybean meal in concentrate without affecting performance in lambs and goat kids.
Source: Wikifarmer — This article is adapted from the original source. Visit the link above to read the full article.