Cottonseed meal (CSM) question

[txfishing]

I have 4 head (2 pregnant and 2 yearling) of Red Angus/Brangus on 11 acres. During this winter season they have been fed coastal Bermuda Hay and free choice mineral block. Occasionally I give them Range Cubes as a suppliment.

Recently I purchased a couple of bags of Cottonseed Meal and gave them some. They didn't seem to like it as much as they do the range cubes. In fact they left the feeder without finishing it. They've never left a single range cube behind in the past so it caught me off guard when they left the cottonseed meal.

Question:
Can I mix something else with the cottonseed meal in order to make it taste better for them and maybe make a better suppliment at the same time? What do you reccomend?

 

[Caustic Burno]

http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare ... 116pod.pdf

 

[Texas PaPaw]

Not sure palatability is the issue. CSM is usually very palatable. I'm wondering if the meal form may be unfamilar to them. They will probably get used to it in a few days. Don't overfeed CSM due to possible gossypol issues and unnecessary cost, However millions of pounds of it are fed to cattle each year with no problems. You can also buy it in the cube form as 38% cubes, also commonly referred to as cottonseed cake.

My rule of thumb is 1lb of crude protein/day (2.63 lb 38% cube/meal)for a mature cow and 1/2 that for a yearling.

A 50/50 mix with whole or cracked corn might help stimulate consumption. Caution! Start with only 3-4 lb of this blend daily per head. Cattle must be graduately introduced to grains in order to avoid acidosis. If the cattle are in good body condition, continued grain should not be necessary. Hay, minerals and a little protein supplement should be adeqate until green grass (that is when it finally does rain).


Good luck and best regards

Brock

 

[txfishing]

Thanks for the suggestion. You're probably right. This was the first time I had given them something other than cubes. I'll try the 50 / 50 mix.

Thanks,
JS
Centerville, TX

 

[J-CCCC]

This isn't a recomendation! You certainly should read the information from OKState offered by Caustic.

We have fed our mature cows 2in1 (Cottonseed meal and salt) in the winter for the past 2 years. We also have minerals added to the mix. The advantage is the protein and fat available in the meal. Ofcourse we also have hay out all the time and use a very small ration of cubes to get a look at them each week. When we first put the meal out they eat a lot but after a week or so they cut back of their own choice.
The salt encourages them to feed on hay.

Our future moms rank high on the condition scale all winter. We havent had any toxidity problems with the cows or calfs. Will be watching for symptoms and when the spring grass hits we will drop the feeding of meal. That is if anything other than dust falls from the sky this winter and spring

Jay

 

[bigbull338]

1st off your cows are not used to csm.they are used to eating cubes.if you want to feed csm.id try mixing 2lbs a hd with their cubes.an dont panic if they dont eat it all.scott