ANN 111: Principles of Animal Nutrition and Feed Technology (2+1)

COTTONSEED MEAL

It has a good quality of protein but with low content of cysteine, methionine and lysine. The calcium to phosphorus ratio is about 1:6, so calcium deficiency may occur. It cannot be fed to pigs and poultry due its dusty nature. Lactating cows can be fed with cotton seed meal but when it was given large amount, milk may become hard and firm, so butter made from such milk fat is difficult to churn and may also tend to develop tallowy taints. Both decorticated cottonseed oilcake as well as undecorticated cottonseed oilcake are available in the market with two grades (Grade I & II) in each variety. Cottonseed meal contains 0.3-20g/kg dry matter of a yellow pigment known as Gossypol, a polyphenolic aldehyde. It is an antioxidant and polymerization inhibitor. It is toxic to simple-stomached animals and the symptoms include depressed appetite, loss of weight and even lead to death due to cardiac failure. Gossypol toxicity can be reduced by the addition of calcium hydroxide and iron salts. Shearing effect of screw press in expeller process is an efficient gossypol inactivator.

Wide Ca:P – 1:6 Gossypol – antioxidant & polymerization inhibitor. Not suitable to pigs & poultry Milk firm & hard. Expeller process, Ca OH & Fe reduces gossypol toxicity.