From Drovers:
Toxicity in cotton (Animal Health)
By Drovers news staff (Saturday, December 23, 2006)
Gossypol is a toxic compound found in cotton plants. Many factors affect the gossypol con-tent in a particular plant, such as growing conditions and fertilizer. According to Sandra Morgan of Oklahoma State University, cattle fed cottonseed or cottonseed meal can develop toxicity. Because effects are cumulative, the longer they are on a ration with high levels of gossypol, the more likely they are to have problems. Animals have died even two weeks after gossypol was removed from the diet, and there is no treatment.
Any time there is death loss in young animals that have been on cottonseed for several weeks (less time if levels of gossypol are high), gossypol toxicity should be considered. Morgan suggests testing cottonseed or cottonseed meal bought in bulk before feeding it. If it tests at 700ppm of free gossypol (the bound form of gossypol is not toxic), it would not be safe for baby calves, even if it made up only half of the concentrate. A stocker calf may be able to tolerate it if it were mixed with other concentrates, particularly another protein, and not fed continually for a long time. Adult cattle should be able to tolerate this level, especially mixed with other concentrates, but they have been shown to develop toxicity at levels of 800ppm, fed over a long period of time. Alternating cottonseed with other feedstuffs may slow or prevent the cumulative effects of gossypol, Morgan says.
Toxicity in cotton (Animal Health)
By Drovers news staff (Saturday, December 23, 2006)
Gossypol is a toxic compound found in cotton plants. Many factors affect the gossypol con-tent in a particular plant, such as growing conditions and fertilizer. According to Sandra Morgan of Oklahoma State University, cattle fed cottonseed or cottonseed meal can develop toxicity. Because effects are cumulative, the longer they are on a ration with high levels of gossypol, the more likely they are to have problems. Animals have died even two weeks after gossypol was removed from the diet, and there is no treatment.
Any time there is death loss in young animals that have been on cottonseed for several weeks (less time if levels of gossypol are high), gossypol toxicity should be considered. Morgan suggests testing cottonseed or cottonseed meal bought in bulk before feeding it. If it tests at 700ppm of free gossypol (the bound form of gossypol is not toxic), it would not be safe for baby calves, even if it made up only half of the concentrate. A stocker calf may be able to tolerate it if it were mixed with other concentrates, particularly another protein, and not fed continually for a long time. Adult cattle should be able to tolerate this level, especially mixed with other concentrates, but they have been shown to develop toxicity at levels of 800ppm, fed over a long period of time. Alternating cottonseed with other feedstuffs may slow or prevent the cumulative effects of gossypol, Morgan says.
