140 FEEDS AND FEEDING, ABRIDGED 



methods by which this rich feed can be used with safety for all classes 

 of animals. 



Feeding cottonseed meal and cake. — Cottonseed meal is one of the 

 most valuable of feeds when properly fed, often being the cheapest 

 available source of protein, and thru it, of nitrogen for maintaining 

 soil fertility. It does not have the beneficial laxative effect of linseed 

 meal, but instead is somewhat constipating. ]\Iore care is necessary 

 in feeding it, tho when given in proper combination with other feeds 

 equally good results may be secured with dairy cows, horses, fattening 

 cattle and sheep as with linseed meal. The amounts which may be 

 safely fed to each kind of stock are fully discussed in the respective 

 chapters of Part III. The most extensive use of cottonseed meal is by 

 dairymen, for comparatively heavy allowances may be fed to milch 

 cows without harm. Fed in too large amounts, cottonseed meal pro- 

 duces hard, tallowy butter, light in color and poor in flavor. A limited 

 quantity has little effect, and is even helpful with cows whose milk 

 produces a soft butter. 



For fattening steers and sheep cottonseed meal, in limited amount, 

 is one of the most satisfactory of nitrogenous supplements. Great 

 numbers of steers are fattened at the oil-mill factories, often on a 

 ration of 6 to 8 lbs. of cottonseed meal with cottonseed hulls or corn 

 silage for roughage. In restricted amounts, mixed preferably with 

 bulky feed, cottonseed meal has been fed to horses and mules with 

 entire success. Altho cottonseed meal is especially poisonous to swine, 

 some feeders, guided by experience, use it in small amounts and for 

 short periods with little loss. Calves are easily affected by its poison- 

 ous properties. Cottonseed meal having a dull color due to improper 

 storage, and that from musty and fermented seed should never be used 

 for feeding stock. 



This most nutritious feed, the richest in fertilizing constituents of 

 all our common feeds of plant origin, is often spread directly on the 

 land as a fertilizer in some parts of the country. To secure the full 

 value, the meal should first be fed to animals and the resulting manure 

 applied to the soil. 



Cottonseed hulls. — Cottonseed hulls, which contain somewhat less 

 digestible nutrients than oat straw, are extensively employed in the 

 South as roughage for cattle feeding. Low in crude protein, but a 

 small part of which is digestible, they have a nutritive ratio of 1 :122, 

 the widest of any common feeding stuff. Obviously, they should be 

 used with feeds which are rich in protein. Cottonseed hulls are best 

 suited to beef cattle, large numbers of steers being fattened on cotton- 

 seed hulls and cottonseed meal, with or without silage. They are 



