What are the roles of cottonseed meal in feed
Cottonseed meal plays roles in feed such as supplementing protein, lysine, calcium, phosphorus and carotene, and adding it to dairy cow feed can also increase the milk fat percentage of dairy cows. When adding it as a fertilizer or feed ingredient, be sure to pay attention to quality; do not use any that is moldy or blackened.
Usage amounts of cottonseed meal in feed for different livestock and poultry:
1. Chicken feed
For broilers, it can be used at 10%-20% of the diet; for laying hens, it can be used at 5%-15% of the diet; for meal that has not undergone detoxification treatment, the amount used in the diet must not exceed 5%.
2. Pig feed
Generally, suckling piglets and young piglets do not use cottonseed meal; in the diet of adult meat pigs it can be used at up to 10%-20%, and for sows it can be used at up to 3%-5%.
3. Cattle feed
Cottonseed meal is a constipation-causing feed ingredient and must be used together with soft-stool feed ingredients such as sesame meal. Generally, for dairy cow feed, the amount used should preferably account for 20%-35% of the concentrate. When feeding young cattle, it is advisable to keep it below 20% of the concentrate, and it must be paired with high-quality roughage rich in carotene. For beef cattle, it can generally account for 30%-40% of the concentrate.
4. Sheep feed
When using cottonseed meal in sheep feed, it must be combined with high-quality concentrate, and its amount must not exceed 50% of the concentrate.
When purchasing cottonseed meal, observe its color, shape and so on. Its sensory characteristics are small flakes or cakes, with a fresh and uniform yellowish-brown color, few black fragment-like cottonseed hulls, little cotton lint, and no mold or caking. Grab a handful of cottonseed meal in your hand and carefully observe whether there are any impurities, and estimate the proportion of cottonseed hulls and the level of cotton lint content. If the content of cottonseed hulls and cotton lint is relatively high, then the quality of the cottonseed meal is relatively poor, with lower crude protein and higher crude fiber.
The moisture content must not exceed 12%. Grasp a handful of cottonseed meal firmly, then release it. If the cottonseed meal is held into a clump, the moisture is relatively high; if it forms a loose state, the moisture is relatively low. Pour out the cottonseed meal and observe the residue left on the hand. If there is a lot of residue, the moisture is relatively high; otherwise, it is relatively low. Feel its moisture by touching the cottonseed meal with your hand. Generally, when the temperature is relatively high, the moisture is relatively high. If it feels hot to the touch, large stacked piles are very likely to spontaneously combust.
Because cottonseed meal has a relatively high possibility of being infected with aflatoxin, and consumption by livestock and poultry can cause slow growth and other conditions, aflatoxin testing can be carried out when necessary before consumption.