Cotton Seed Hulls

[TheBullLady]

I"ve got seven heifers on show feed, and I'm wondering what the point of cotton seed hulls in the mix is? I know it's a "filler".. but why use it? I've found that the heifers actually prefer a milled mix I use in the creep feeder, without hulls or filler, but wondered what the ramifications of letting them eat the milled feed would be.

 

[Howdyjabo]

Cotton seed hulls- add a very useful fiber to feed.
It has qualities that make more use of all the other nutrients fed with it.My nutritionist called it the "tickle" factor- but I don't think anyone really knows why it works the way it does
Also it adds palatability(usually).From what I have seen most animals love it.

 

[MrBilly]

I think we are all saying the same thing, but the hulls add roughage and help reduce the possibility of the calf / cow bloating on what would be otherwise a purely rich feed without roughage or fiber (read without hulls).

Billy

 

[Howdyjabo]

The fiber that CSH contribute is different(and better) than other fillers and roughages.