Feedlot Animal Waste Compared with Cottonseed Meal as a Supplement for Pregnant Range Cows

Abstract

Three groups of pregnant beef cows grazing dry native annual range were either supplemented with pelleted cottonseed meal (0.90 kg/head daily), a pelleted mixture of 75% feedlot manure-25% barley (ad lib.), or received no supplementation for a period of 84 days. Cows were induced to consume the manure pellet on range by accustoming them to the manure-barley pellet in a preliminary period of feeding in a drylot. Individual cow variation in intake of manure supplement was similar to that found for the cottonseed meal supplement. A marked response occurred to both supplements as measured by cow weights at calving and weaning weight of the calf. Cows given the manure-barley pellet had a higher body weight than cows given the cottonseed meal supplement, but intake of supplement was much greater for those given the manure-barley pellet. The dry matter digestibility of the feedlot manure was 26.1%.