The use of crop residues has long been a way to reduce wintering feed costs of cows. Cotton production produces many feed products that can be used by beef cattle. These byproducts include cottonseed, cottonseed meal, cottonseed hulls, gin trash and cotton stalk residue remaining in the field after harvest.

Cottonseed, cottonseed meal and cottonseed hulls are widely used as feed ingredients in beef cattle diets. Cattle producers, however, do not commonly use gin trash and cotton stalk residue. Hay is the primary winter feed source for beef cattle, and wintering feed costs account for about 40 percent of the yearly costs of maintaining a brood cow. Gin trash and cotton stalk residue can be fed as the sole feedstuff or with little supplementation. These byproducts have the greatest potential of any cotton byproducts in lowering wintering feed costs.

Potential as a Feed Source

The southeastern states east of the Mississippi River usually produce 4.5 million acres of cotton each year with a yield of 1.5 bales per acre. One 480-pound bale of cotton also yields approximately 740 pounds of seed and 150 to 200 pounds of cotton gin trash. Cattle can also graze the cotton stalk residue after the cotton is harvested if cows are near cotton fields and temporary fencing is constructed. These are excellent alternatives for cattle producers in cotton-producing areas to lower costs of production by feeding cotton byproducts.

Nutrient Composition

The nutrient composition of cotton byproducts is listed in Table 1. Whole cottonseed is used as a protein and energy source. Whole cottonseed use if limited due to high fat content (17.5 percent) and the potential of gossypol toxicity. The energy content of whole cottonseed is primarily derived from the oil.

Cottonseed meal is used as a protein source and is not generally used above 15 percent of diet dry matter.

Cottonseed hulls are used primarily as a roughage source in grain-based diets; its use is limited in the diet by low energy content.

Gin trash is used as a roughage source in grain-based diets and can supply a portion of the energy needs for cattle with low nutrient requirements.

Whole cottonseed and cottonseed meal are good sources of phosphorus and contain approximately twice the amount recommended for beef cattle diets. The calcium level of cotton byproducts is low and should be supplemented in a free choice mineral mix along with trace mineral salt.

Whole Cottonseed

Whole cottonseed is a unique feed because it can supply protein, energy and fiber to a diet. Whole cottonseed is an excellent supplement to poor quality grass hay for dry and lactating cows because it supplies both energy and protein in a single feed ingredient. Cottonseed is used in the diets of cows and stocker calves, but do not feed it to young pre-ruminant calves.

Each pound of cottonseed will provide 0.2 pounds of crude protein and 0.87 pounds of TDN on a dry matter basis. It can be included up to 7 pounds per day in mature cow diets. This would provide 1.5 pounds of supplemental crude protein and 6.1 pounds of TDN. It would provide sufficient supplements for lactating cows fed a diet containing hay that is at least 9 percent crude protein and 50 percent TDN. If supplementation is required beyond 7 pounds per day, then other feeds must be blended with the cottonseed.

The high fat content is the primary limiting factor for inclusion in beef cattle diets. Supplementing cottonseed at the maximum recommended feeding rate (7 pounds per day) will provide 1.1 pounds of supplemental fat, which is the maximum amount that should be fed to prevent significant reduction in fiber digestion. Research in Georgia showed that lactating cows fed average quality bermudagrass hay had equal rates of gain when fed 4.7 pounds of whole cottonseed per day or 4 pounds of corn and 1.5 pounds of soybean meal per day. With prices of $120 per ton for cottonseed, $100 a ton for corn and $300 a ton for soybean meal, supplemental feed costs were $0.28 per day for cottonseed supplemented cows and $0.43 per day for cows supplemented with corn and soybean meal. Conduct a forage analysis to accurately determine the amount of cottonseed needed to meet the cows’ requirements for protein and energy.

In addition, the fat in whole cottonseed has been shown to improve reproductive performance. Fat is a precursor to reproductive hormones, which increases these hormones in the blood. Higher levels of reproductive hormones may improve pregnancy rates and reduce calving interval. This effect is greatest in cows with a body condition score of less than 5.

Stocker calves cannot be fed as much whole cotton-seed in the diet as mature cows. The cottonseed should not exceed 15 percent of diet dry matter for stocker calves. When dietary whole cottonseed exceeds 15 percent of diet dry matter, feed intake, daily gains and feed efficiency are decreased. A trial in North Carolina showed a reduction in daily gains of 0.2 pound per day when steers were fed a corn silage based diet containing 24 percent cottonseed, compared with 24 percent of a corn-soybean meal mix. A feedlot study in Texas showed a slight reduction in daily gain of 4 percent and a 10-percent reduction in feed efficiency when whole cottonseed was fed at 15 percent of diet dry matter in a 90-percent concentrate diet. Additional supplemental protein can be derived from either soybean meal another high protein byproduct feed or urea.

Feeding Methods of Whole Cottonseed

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. In dry weather, whole cottonseed may be fed on sod under a temporary electric fence with little wastage. Once cattle are adapted to whole cottonseed, some producers feed the cottonseed in a self feeder. On average, cattle may eat recommended daily amounts; individual animal intake, however, is highly variable.

Cattle may not appear to overeat when provided cottonseed in a self feeder, but individual animal intake cannot be controlled. In addition, poor quality feed may greatly increase intake. One study reported an intake of 14 pounds of cottonseed per day when self feeding first-calf heifers. If intake is greater than recommended feeding rates with self feeders, limiting intake to avoid overeating and providing another source of feed to reduce risk of poor performance and possible reproductive losses would be most economical.

Do not feed whole cottonseed in self feeders with a V shape because the cottonseed will bridge in the feeder.

In addition, take care when self feeding bulls because they may eat more than the recommended rates, and reduced fertility due to excessive intake of gossypol is possible.

Storage and Handling of Whole Cottonseed

There is no advantage to cracking or grinding whole cottonseed, and it should be fed whole. Cottonseed is very bulky and will not flow through an augur system; it should not be stored in a grain bin. Whole cottonseed is most easily handled with a scoop or front-end loader.

Protect whole cottonseed from rain, and store it under a shelter that provides good ventilation to prevent moisture accumulation and molding of the seed. Do not feed moldy seed; it may contain aflatoxins, which are toxic to cattle.

Cattle producers with large operations should consider building a commodity shed with a concrete floor to store cottonseed and other byproducts. Small producers can pick up cottonseed directly from the gin and store it in a peanut wagon or any type of gravity flow wagon. The wagon can then be placed near the feeding area and the required amount scooped into a trough each day.

Cottonseed Meal

Cottonseed meal is a common source of protein in beef cattle diets and is usually a cheaper source of protein 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. Soybean meal, however, is often 25 to 35 percent more expensive than soybean meal, making cottonseed meal the preferred source of protein for many producers. Cottonseed meal has similar rates of protein degradability as soybean meal and can replace the soybean meal in most diets. The exception is young calves under 4 months of age. An alternative protein source should be fed to these calves.

Cottonseed meal is often mixed with salt in a 2:1 ratio of meal to salt 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 approximately 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.

Cottonseed Hulls

Cottonseed hulls are a very high fiber, poorly digested feedstuff used primarily as a roughage source in grain-based diets. The low bulk density of cottonseed hulls usually confines the use of this feedstuff to areas surrounding production plants or for special uses, such as a roughage source in rations for show cattle.

Cottonseed hulls are very low in crude protein, phosphorus and calcium. They are very palatable to cattle and have been shown to stimulate intake in young cattle fed grain-based diets.

Cottonseed hulls are often used as a roughage source in high concentrate diets. They can be the sole source of roughage in feedlot diets, and they have been shown to be as effective as alfalfa hay in feedlot diets when fed at half the level of alfalfa hay. Because of high levels of NDF (neutral detergent fiber), cottonseed hulls are a more effective source of roughage in high grain diets than alfalfa hay or silages.

Cottonseed hulls can replace a part of the forage in mature cow diets. Cottonseed hulls, however, are priced relatively high in terms of energy value when compared to most hay and grain products. They are not economical to feed in high dietary amounts to beef cows. Cottonseed hulls should not exceed more than 50 percent of the diet when fed to brood cows. A common use of cottonseed hulls is as a roughage source and intake regulator of high grain diets fed in self feeders. Cottonseed hulls are usually fed at 25 to 50 percent of the diet, depending on desired performance level.

Grazing Cotton Stalk Residue

Using crop residues to provide winter feed for dry pregnant cows can greatly reduce feed costs. Substantial amounts of potential feed residue remain on the cotton plant after harvest including cotton lint, cottonseed, leaves and burrs. Cotton producers in the southeast primarily harvest cotton with spindle-type pickers. These type pickers leave much more cotton lint, leaves and bolls than stripper-type pickers. There is, therefore, a significant underused source of available winter feed for cattle with low nutrient requirements.

Dry pregnant cows can be maintained on this residue and achieve equal performance with cows fed hay. Research has been conducted in Georgia to determine the performance and feed costs of wintering cows on cotton stalks. Cows were allowed to graze cotton stalks, and performance and feed costs were compared to cows fed round baled coastal bermudagrass hay. Performance and body condition score changes are shown in Table 2. One acre of cotton stalk residue provided feed for one cow for 44 days. Total weight gain was 48 pounds for the cows fed hay and 15 pounds for cows grazing cotton stalks. Because both groups of cows were in good condition, little weight gain was desired. Likewise, body condition was essentially unchanged during the trial for each group. Producers can expect similar performance when feeding mature gestating cows with hay that is at least 8 percent crude protein and 50 percent TDN, or by grazing cotton stalk residue. If body condition of cows is less than 5, supplemental feed will be needed to increase body condition score.

Remove cows when all cotton lint and leaves are eaten, cows become restless or cows are losing body condition. Cows will eat little if any of the actual stalk. The residue eaten by cows is leaves, lint and seed of the cotton residue.

Determining Available Residue

The amount of cotton stalk residue available for grazing was approximately 4,487 pounds per acre (Table 3).

Cows consumed 1,614 pounds of the residue, which resulted in a use rate of 36 percent. Producers can expect cattle consumer about one-third of the available cotton stalk residue. Available residue can easily be estimated to plan a winter feeding program. The amount of residue available will vary greatly among fields of cotton, but some estimates of grazing days available can be made. For example, to determine the amount of residue per acre in a field with 36-inch rows, you can do the following:

The costs of grazing cotton stalk residue are fencing, water and a mineral supplement. The rule of thumb is 1 acre will maintain a cow for 30 days. In this study, 1 acre maintained a cow for 44 days. Grazing days will vary greatly from field to field and from year to year. As mentioned above, cows should be removed when no cotton lint or leaves are available for grazing. Some producers have had success in providing free-choice hay while cows are grazing cotton stalk residue and using consumption of hay as a guide to when to remove cows from the cotton stalk residue. Cattle will consume little hay if sufficient cotton stalk residue is available.

Some potential problems can occur when grazing cotton stalk residue. This study was done with dry pregnant cows, and results should not be applied to lactating cows. Lactating cows will likely need supplemental energy and/or protein if grazed on cotton stalk residue. Bulls may have reduced fertility because of the gossypol toxicity. To be safe, do not allow bulls to graze cotton fields.

Grazing Mowed Stalk Residue

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 when compared with standing cotton stalk residue. One study in Georgia compared the number of grazing days between cotton stalk residue that was left standing to residue mowed prior to grazing.

The cows were allowed to graze 10 acres of standing cotton stalk residue or 10 acres of mowed cotton stalk residue for a total of 30 days. Total weight gain was 56, 55 and 32 pounds for cows consuming hay, standing cotton residue and mowed cotton residue, respectively (Table 4). Total hay fed per day to each group during the trial was 27, 1.3 and 10.7 pounds for cows consuming hay, standing cotton residue and mowed cotton residue, respectively. Savings from reduced hay feeding were $0.90 per day for cows grazing standing cotton stalk residue and $0.58 per day for cows grazing mowed cotton stalk residue. Mowing cotton stalk residue prior to grazing reduced grazing days per acre by 35 percent compared with grazing standing cotton stalk residue. Therefore, producers should expect about one-third fewer grazing days per acre when grazing mowed versus standing cotton stalk residue. The mowed cotton stalk residue, however, substantially reduced feeding costs compared with feeding hay free-choice.

Gin Trash

Approximately 150 to 200 pounds of gin trash are produced for each 480-pound bale of cotton. The gin trash is usually free, and the only costs are those associated with transportation from the gin and storage at the feeding site. The total amount of gin trash produced in states east of the Mississippi River would total 500,000 to 700,000 tons. This potentially could feed 300,000 to 400,000 cows for 100 days with little additional supplement.

Nutrient composition of gin trash varies greatly as does success of gin trash feeding programs. Gin trash averages approximately 11 percent crude protein, 11 percent ash, 41 percent crude fiber, 46 percent total digestible nutrients, 0.9 percent calcium and 0.2 percent phosphorus (Table 1). Moisture content will vary with the management of the cotton gin. Some gins wet the gin trash to reduce dust problems associated with gin trash. Wetting also can lead to molding of the trash and reduced palatability. In addition, some molds can be toxic to cattle. Protect gin trash from the weather if it’s stored prior to feeding. Because of the wide range in nutrient content, a nutrient analysis is essential to properly design a feeding program using gin trash.

Cotton gin trash has a low bulk density and is expensive to transport. An alternative to reduce transportation costs is to put the gin trash into cotton modules and transport the modules or bales of gin trash to the producer. The modules of gin trash can be fed by placing an electric fence wire in front of the module to restrict access and decrease waste. Work in North Carolina has shown that cows will use approximately 75 percent of the gin trash using this feeding method.

Researchers in Georgia have tried to improve gin trash digestibility by chemical processing and composting. Composting gin trash reduced the digestibility and is not recommended. Treating with urea or ammonium hydroxide resulted in improved in vitro dry matter digestibilities of 6 percent and 21 percent, respectively. Only small differences in digestible energy intake were realized with these chemical treatments due to low digestibility of unprocessed gin trash. Although chemical treatment of cotton gin trash shows some promise, a practical and economical system for chemically treating and feeding gin trash has not been developed.

Feeding Gin Trash to Cows

Gin trash is best used in diets of dry pregnant cows. Cows have lowest nutrient requirements of any class of animals and can be maintained on diets containing high levels of gin trash. If cows are in a body condition score of 5 or greater, then cows need to maintain body weight and condition score. Gin trash is generally lower in digestibility when compared with bermuda-grass hay and may require supplementation even when feeding dry cows. A study comparing the feeding of gin trash alone or with 3 pounds per day of cracked corn is shown in Table 5. Cows were able to maintain body weight only when fed supplemental corn. Gin trash used in this study was 13.6 percent crude protein and 39 percent TDN. Requirements of cows used in this study were 8 percent crude protein and 48 percent TDN. Gin trash is initially unpalatable to cattle, and cows make take several days to adapt to and consume the gin trash at acceptable levels. In addition, high amounts of soil contamination will decrease palatability. Closely monitor intake and adjust supplemental feeding accordingly.

Table 5. Performance, feed intake and feed costs of dry pregnant cows fed gin trash.
Item	Gin Trash	Gin Trash + 3 lb/day Corn
Initial weight, lb	1215	1215
Final weight, lb	1198	1217
Daily gain, lb per day	-0.30	+0.04
Initial body condition score^a	4.9	4.6
Final body condition score	4.3	4.4
Gin trash intake, lb per day	32.0	33.0
Feed cost, $/d^b	0.32	0.48
^a Body condition score of 1 = thin and 9 = fat. ^b Feed cost calculated using gin trash at $20 per ton and corn at $100 per ton.

Cows are unlikely to need additional protein supplementation with gin trash, but an energy supplement will usually be required. Energy supplements can include high quality hay, winter pasture, silage, corn, soybean hulls, sorghum, corn gluten feed, wheat middlings and other grain, and byproduct feed sources. Feeding free-choice gin trash plus a liquid supplement may cause weight loss of dry pregnant cows. Liquid supplements primarily provide supplemental protein and may not supply enough energy to maintain cow weight. In addition, young cows have higher nutritional requirements than older, mature cows. Do not feed gin trash as the primary feed ingredient until cows are pregnant with their third calf.

Feeding Gin Trash to Calves

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 of gin trash.

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. Feeding 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 concentrate diets.

Gossypol Toxicity

Gossypol is a yellow pigment found throughout the cotton plant, but the highest concentrations of gossypol are found in the seeds. Gossypol is toxic to cattle if consumed in sufficient quantities. Whole cottonseed and cottonseed meal are the primary sources of gossypol in beef cattle diets. Cottonseed hulls contain very little gossypol. Gin trash will be lower but highly variable due to cottonseed content of the trash.

Gossypol exists as two steroisomers, the (+) isomer or the (-) isomer. The minus isomer has the greatest biological activity and is more detrimental to reproduc-tion than the plus isomer. The Upland and Pima varieties of cotton have different levels of these two isomers. The Upland varieties of cotton usually contain less gossypol and a lower percentage of the detrimental minus isomer than Pima varieties. In the southeast, most of the cotton is Upland varieties, and feeding cottonseed from this region of the United States may be safer in regard to reduced fertility than feeding cottonseed from other regions.

Although gossypol can cause death in cattle, the amounts of gossypol needed to cause death are far above recommended feeding levels and is unlikely to occur. The most common concern about gossypol toxicity is reproductive failure of bulls. Young developing bulls are more affected than mature bulls. No decline in semen quality was noted when young Brahman bulls were fed a diet that contained 41 percent whole cottonseed. Females appear to be more resistant to gossypol induced reproductive failure than bulls. There is no reported data showing impaired fertility caused by recommended feeding levels of cottonseed or cottonseed meal to bulls. Even feeding twice the recom-mended level of gossypol showed little negative effect, but this would be above practical levels of feeding and would reduce growth rates of bulls.

Gossypol appears to be more toxic when feeding high concentrate diets. In addition, gossypol is digested more slowly when feeding whole cottonseed compared with feeding cottonseed meal. Cattle can, therefore, tolerate higher levels of gossypol when fed whole cottonseed versus cottonseed meal. It is unlikely that any negative consequences to reproduction or health will occur when feeding cottonseed and cottonseed meal at recommended levels.

Chemical Residues in Cotton Byproducts

Chemical residues are often a concern when feeding gin trash or grazing cotton stalk residues. Many of the chemicals used in cotton production are not cleared for use on feedstuffs consumed by cattle.

Arsenic is no longer used in cotton defoliants and is no longer a concern when feeding cotton byproducts. A Georgia study evaluated cotton gin trash for evidence of residue from pesticides used during cotton production. The only residue found was tribufos (DEF), which is a commonly used defoliant. The average level found was 4.49 ppm, which is a low level. The tolerance for DEF in whole cottonseed is 4 ppm and for cottonseed hulls is 6 ppm. Feeding gin trash does pose liability issues because tolerance levels for chemical residues have not been established.

Summary

Cotton byproducts offer a variety of feed ingredients that can lower the cost of production.

Cottonseed 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 replacement of energy 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 3 weeks if mowed prior to grazing. A reduction in fertility should not be a concern when recommended feeding rates are followed.

There is great potential for cattle producers who are located near cotton gins and cotton fields to use cotton byproducts.

Literature Cited

Blasi, D.A., and J.S. Drouillard. 2002. Composition and Feeding Value of Cottonseed Feed Products for Beef Cattle. Kansas State Univ. Agri. Exp. Sta. and Coop. Ext. Service. MF-2538.

Chase, C.C., Jr., P. Bastidas, J.L. Ruttle, C.R. Long, and R.D. Randel. 1994. Growth and reproductive development in Brahman bulls fed diets containing gossypol. J. Anim. Sci. 72:445-452.

Hill, G.M., R.S. Watson, R.N. Gates, G.L. Newton, R.L. Stewart, and M.J. Bader. 2000. Feeding cotton gin trash to beef cows in confinement during winter. J. Anim. Sci. 78(Suppl. 2):25 abstract.

Hill, G.M., R.S. Watson, G.L. Newton, R.L. Stewart, R.N. Gates, and M.J. Bader. 2000. Cotton gin trash and dry rolled corn dietary intake and digestibility in growing steers. J. Anim. Sci. 78(Suppl. 2):25 abstract.

Holt, G.A., C.R. Richardson, G.A. Nunnery, K.F. Wilson, T.C. Bramble, L.D. Rea, and T.C. Wedegaertner. 2003. Performance of growing heifers fed diets containing cotton gin byproducts extruded by the Coby process. Professional Animal Scientist 19(6):404-409.

Myer, R.O., and L.R. McDowell. 2003. Potential for Gossypol Toxicity when Feeding Whole Cottonseed to Beef Cattle. Fla. Coop. Ext. Service, Inst. of Food and Agric. Sci. AN130.

NRC. 1996. Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle. 7^th ed. Washington, D.C.: Natl. Acad. Press.

NRC. 1984. Nutrient Requirements of Beef Cattle. 6^th ed. Washington, D.C.: Natl. Acad. Press.

Rogers, G.M., M.H. Poore, and J.C. Paschal. 2002. Feeding cotton products to cattle. Vet. Clin. Food Anim. 18:267-294.

Stewart, R.L., M.J. Bader, and G.H. Harris. 1998. Evaluation of cotton gin trash as a cattle feed. Univ. of Georgia Animal and Dairy Science Annual Report. pp. 28-30.

The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. Cooperative Extension, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, gender or disability.

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Table 1. Nutrient composition of cotton byproducts (dry matter basis).
Nutrient	Whole Cottonseed	Cottonseed Meal	Cottonseed Hulls	Gin Trash
Dry matter, %	92.0	92.0	91.0	90.0
Crude protein, %	23.0	46.1	4.1	11.7
TDN, %	95.0	75.0	42.0	46.6
NEm (mcal/lb)^a	1.08	0.81	0.31	0.38
NEg (mcal/lb)^a	0.76	0.53	0.07	0.13
Fat, %	17.5	3.1	1.7	----
Ash, %	5.0	7.0	2.8	11.1
Calcium, %	0.16	0.16	0.15	0.9
Phosphorus, %	0.75	0.76	0.09	0.2
Potassium, %	1.2	1.22	0.87	1.45
Magnesium, %	0.35	0.35	0.14	0.2
Sulfur, %	0.26	0.26	0.09	----
Copper, ppm	54.0	53.9	13.0	67.3
Iron, ppm	151.0	160.0	131.0	963.0
Manganese, ppm	10.0	12.2	119.0	0.26
Sodium, ppm	0.03	0.03	0.02	121.0
Zinc, ppm	37.7	68.0	22.0	30.3
^a NEm and NEg = Net Energy for maintenance and Net Energy for gain, respectively.

Table 2. Effects of grazing cotton stalk residue on intake performance and condition score of dry pregnant cows.
Item	Hay	Cotton Stalk Residue
Initial weight, lb	1359	1359
Final weight, lb	1407	1374
Weight change, lb	+48	+15
Initial body condition score^a	5.5	5.6
Final body condition score	5.7	5.5
Body condition score change	+0.2	-0.1
Hay intake, lb/day	21.2	----
Cotton stalk residue intake, lb/day	----	36.6
Hay savings, $/day^b	0.90	----
^a Body condition score of 1 = thin and 9 = fat. ^b Hay valued at $70 per ton.

Table 3. Cotton stalk residue available for grazing and grazing day per acre.
Item	Pounds/acre
Initial cotton stalk residue	4487
Final cotton stalk residue	2873
Cotton stalk residue disappearance	1614
Grazing days per acre	44

Table 4. Performance and hay requirement of cows fed hay, standing cotton residue or mowed cotton residue.
Item	Hay	Standing Residue	Mowed Residue
Initial weight, lb	1,354	1,369	1,354
Final weight, lb	1,410	1,424	1,386
Weight gain, lb	56	55	32
Hay fed, lb/day	27.0	1.3	10.7
Hay savings, $/day	----	0.90	0.58
^a Hay valued at $70 per ton.

Using Cotton Byproducts in Beef Cattle Diets

Introduction