Lysine and fertility problems

[certherfbeef]

I was recentally told that cotton seed, or rather the lysine in the cotten seed, would cause fertility problems in bulls. Mainly slow the testicular development.

Anyone know if there is any truth to this? Anyone have an amount that is the threshold number for how much lysine a bull can handle?

I know to keep the urea away from the bulls, the high moisture corn and the insilage. But the lysine thing is a new one for me.

 

[dun]

The only site I still have that addresses the subject caims less then 10% of a bulls diet should be cottonseed. If I remember correctly it was from TAMU Extension. I had read that the problem was Gossypol. I'll look around and see if I can locate it again.


dun

 

[certherfbeef]

subject caims less then 10% of a bulls diet should be cottonseed. I had read that the problem was Gossypol.

Dun, the only cottonseed he gets is mixed in a ration that I am wintering him on. I really doubt that it is anywhere near 10% of that ration.

What about the heating process? Does that bind up some of the gossypol and the acetic acid to where it is not as harmful?

Any info you can come up with will be a big help. Thanks

 

[Chuck]

Lysine is present in corn,more in some hybrids than others. Never thought of this as a potential problem. Does cottonseed have more or is it different somehow? You might try the Journal of Animal Science http://jas.fass.org/ There is about 20 years of research on there for all kinds of things. Good luck.

 

[dun]

subject caims less then 10% of a bulls diet should be cottonseed. I had read that the problem was Gossypol.

Dun, the only cottonseed he gets is mixed in a ration that I am wintering him on. I really doubt that it is anywhere near 10% of that ration.

What about the heating process? Does that bind up some of the gossypol and the acetic acid to where it is not as harmful?

Any info you can come up with will be a big help. Thanks

If you go to the TAMU site you should be able to find all sorts of information.

Most of the dairys around here feed 2-3% cottonseed in their rations and a number of them run bulls with the cow herd and don't have any fertility problems.

http://animalscience-extension.tamu.edu/beef/toc.html