The extra friction created by the cottonseed moving through the auger can cause fat to soften and build up on the auger flighting. Be especially cautious putting cotton into the mix if there are other fat products in the mix and if the mix will be stored in a bulk bin. If it is desired to bring cotton through a protein mix from a feed mill, most mills will need the inclusion of cotton in a mix to be at or below 300 pounds per ton for the mix to flow through the mill. In the cases where cotton is brought directly to the dairy, walking floors or live bottoms would be preferred over a hopper, as cottonseed will not flow like a grain or meal product. Each of these modes of transportation requires additional transloading. Cotton is often transported from the South – where the production and gins are located – to the other large dairy markets by rail, semi-trailer or barge. Using historical pricing ( Figure 1) can help you make the decision on when to pull the trigger on a contract.Īgain, although receiving a feed product normally doesn’t require much planning, the unique characteristics of cottonseed require more attention. Although I am not a risk management adviser, my best advice is to understand the previous and current prices of cottonseed to understand where the contract quotes compare with history. Outside of gin-run cotton, many brokers will offer a variety of contracts of various lengths. With cottonseed, there is often a dip in prices shortly after harvest during the initial "gin run." Basically, during this time, cottonseed may be discounted as gins, and brokers will attempt to sell directly to the market before having to move the cottonseed to storage. The other half of getting the buy involves determining the right time to purchase or contract the product. You can use tools, such as the SESAME software from Ohio State University and FeedVal v7.0 from the University of Wisconsin – Madison – which are often posted in this publication – to see how the buy of cotton compares to other feed ingredients. For example, if alfalfa hay is cheap, you likely need a cheaper price of cottonseed to buy cottonseed over alfalfa hay. This includes understanding the value cottonseed presents versus other substitutes. Although it seems straightforward, understanding the “buy” is an extremely important step in the process. Generally, if you have a broker or mill you work with to get other commodities – such as corn gluten feed or soybean meal – they can assist you in finding cottonseed. From there, feed mills, secondary brokers and dairies can purchase cotton. Following the ginning process (removal of the cotton from the seed), most cottonseed will be purchased by brokers and go into storage. With this, cottonseed has become ubiquitously available, and you can find it in most places you find other commodity ingredients. ![]() FindĬottonseed has become a well-used ingredient across the industry. The rate at which to choose depends on the factors for which we are putting cottonseed in the ration in the first place. Although research trials have pushed cottonseed inclusion over 30% of the ration, generally, cottonseed in dairy rations ranges from 1 to 6 pounds per head. The other choice you need to make at this stage is how much cotton you want to feed. Because of the unique makeup and concentration of nutrients, cottonseed can be used to support high production. Finally, you may choose to feed cotton to support high performance. However, it is also an excellent source of fat. As mentioned, cottonseed is a good source of fiber and protein. ![]() Another reason to choose cottonseed would be to serve as a source of essential nutrients. Cottonseed can serve as a good forage replacement because of the combination of effective fiber and protein content. ![]() First, we may be forced to feed cottonseed due to low forage inventories. The choice to include cotton in a ration relies on several factors. ChooseĬhoose if cotton is the right fit for your dairy. The steps to ensure success in feeding cottonseed include choosing, finding, buying, receiving and mixing. Because of this uniqueness, there are a number of items to keep in mind when utilizing cottonseed in a ration. The nutritional attributes are similarly interesting. From a visual perspective, with the cotton lint and unique shape, whole cottonseed is an intriguing ingredient. One ingredient that's easy to spot is cottonseed.
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