Easiflo Cottonseed
Cottonseeds have been processed to improve handling through augers for dairy farmers who do not want to purchase and feed a bulk truckload of whole linted cottonseeds. In studies in which the linters were matted down with 2.5% (Bernard, 1999) or 5% (Bernard et al., 1999) corn starch, lactation performance was similar to whole linted cottonseed controls. Coating the cottonseed did not decrease milk fat percentage, but total NDF and forage NDF concentrations in the diets were more than adequate such that effective fiber from cottonseeds apparently was not needed. We hypothesized that the starch would be degraded quickly, and the linters would then entangle with the forage to stimulate rumination as effectively as whole linted cottonseeds in low forage diets.
Wet Brewers Grains
When brewers grains replaced alfalfa silage in two trials, their effectiveness varied considerably (reviewed by Mertens, 1997). Wet brewers grains vary in composition depending on the brewery. Early studies have documented decreased milk production and sometimes dry matter intake at high levels, and this response has been attributed to the high moisture percentage. In contrast, typical usage of wet brewers grains at high levels to replace concentrate probably increases total NDF beyond the threshold at which dry matter intake is depressed (Younker et al., 1998). We hypothesized that wet brewers grains would maintain dry matter intake and milk production if forage NDF was replaced (down to about 15%) with brewers NDF while total nonstructural carbohydrate was decreased to reduce rumen acid load but also to prevent DMI depression from high NDF.
Our objectives were to compare wet brewers grains and Easiflo cottonseeds to whole linted cottonseeds as substitutes for forage in lactation rations.