What’s our story for beef producers?

Beef Up Your Cattle Ration

Whole cottonseed is a triple-nutrient feed ingredient, containing protein, available fat and effective fiber to support the nutritional needs of your beef cattle.¹ On average, whole cottonseed contains 96% digestible nutrients, 23% protein, 20% fat and 24% fiber on a dry matter basis.²

Fat

Helps improve body condition, which is vital for successful breeding.³

Protein

Supports muscle growth, animal development and lactation.⁴

Fiber

Supports rumen function and digestive health.⁵

What does that mean for beef producers & Nutritionists?

Proven Beneficial For Beef Cattle

Cotton byproducts, including whole cottonseed and cotton gin trash, are an effective source of fiber, fat and protein in feedlot rations without adverse effects on performance or carcass characteristics.⁶

Improves Body Condition

Research has shown that the fat in whole cottonseed improves body condition in beef cattle, which can lead to better reproductive performance.³

Great Supplemental Feed Option

Whole cottonseed is a nutrient-dense option that’s high in protein, which is the component most often lacking in beef cattle diets. Cottonseed also contains ample energy and fiber to promote digestive health.¹

Beef Advisory Council Members

Eric Bailey

Assistant Professor and State Beef Extension Specialist
University of Missouri | Missouri

Buck Chastain

Nutritionist
BC Consulting | Arkansas

Alisa Ogden

Beef Producer & Cotton Grower
Black River Farm | New Mexico

Terry Quam

Beef Producer
Marda Angus Farms | Wisconsin

Jason Sawyer

Chief Science Officer
King Ranch^® Institute for Ranch Management | Texas

Bob Walker

Beef Producer
Walker Farms | Tennessee

Blake Wilson

Assistant Associate Professor
Oklahoma State Univeristy | Oklahoma

Get Involved

Get Involved with the Beef Advisory Council

Learn more about beefing up your ration with whole cottonseed.

¹Kellogg, D.W., Pennington, J.A., Johnson, Z.B. and Panivivat, R. (2001). Survey of management practices used for the highest producing DHI herds in the United States. J. Dairy. Sci. Vol. 84, Supplement, E120– E127. doi:10.3168/-jds.S0022-0302(01)70206–8.
²National Research Council (2001). Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle: Seventh Revised Edition, 2001. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/9825.
³Comerford, J.W. (2014). Added fat in the ration of beef cows to enhance reproduction. Pennsylvania State University. https://extension.psu.edu/added-fat-in-the-ration-of-beef-cows-to-enhance-reproduction.
⁴Parish, J. (2009). Protein requirements of beef cattle. Mississippi State University Extension. https://extension.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/topic-files/cattle-business-mississippi-articles/cattle-business-mississippi-articles-landing-page/mca_apr2009.pdf.
⁵Parish, J. (2022) Fiber in beef cattle diets. Mississippi State University Extension website. https://extension.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/publications/publications/P2489_web.pdf.
⁶Warner, A.L., et al. (2020). Effects of utilizing cotton byproducts in a finishing diet on beef cattle performance, carcass traits, fecal characteristics, and plasma metabolites. Am. Soc. of Anim. Sci. Vol. 98, issue 2, doi:10.1093/jas/skaa038.