UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



$ijj| BULLETIN No. 929 |j||| 



SaflJr^^fg Contribution from the Bureau of Animal industry ^^Vt>g^ ? 



S&?'&5u JOHN R. MOHLER, Chief ^W^*^VL 



Washington, D. C. 



December 17, 1920 



COTTONSEED MEAL FOR HORSES. 



By G. A. Bell and J. O. Williams, Animal Husbandry Division. 



CONTENTS. 



Output and uses of cottonseed meal- 

 Previous experiments in feeding cot- 

 tonseed meal to horses 



The experimental feeding 



Objects of experiment 



Horses used 



Feeds used 



Page. 



The experimental feeding— Con. Page. 



Details of experiment -i 



Individual cases I 6 



Summary of experiment 7 



Conclusions and recommenda- 

 tions 7 



Suggested rations containing cotton- 



seed meal. 



' OUTPUT AND USES OF COTTONSEED MEAL. 



COTTONSEED MEAL is the ground cake left after the oil 

 has been extracted from cotton seed. It is the most important 

 by-product obtained in the manufacture of cottonseed oil, form- 

 ing more than one-half of the total products obtained from the 

 cotton seed. Approximately 2.500,000 tons of cottonseed meal and 

 cake were produced in 1919, having a valuation of over $150,000,000, 

 Of the quantity produced, somewhat more than 300,000 tons were 

 exported, leaving more than 2,000,000 tons for home consumption. 



Cottonseed meal is used as a fertilizer and as a feed for live- 

 stock. Its value as cattle feed is well established, but, owing to 

 prejudices which have existed among horse feeders, cottonseed meal 

 has not been held in favor as a feed for work stock. Feeders assert 

 that it is likely to produce digestive disorders and that it can not 

 be fed with safety. These claims, no doubt, have some foundation, 

 but the harmful results have usually followed the use of a poor 

 quality of meal or the feeding of excessive quantities. 



Cottonseed meal is a heavy rjrotein concentrate and its use as a 

 supplement to the ration of work stock in supplying the protein con- 

 tent would be highly desirable, if safe. The test reported in this 

 bulletin was conducted to determine to what extent cottonseed meal 

 may be fed to horses with safety. 



183743°— 20 1 



