Evaluation of cotton-gin trash blocks fed to beef cattle1

A cotton-plant-material (CPM) block containing cotton-gin trash with dried distillers grains and wheat middlings was evaluated as a beef-cattle feed. In Exp. 1, beef steers (n = 30; initial BW = 453.6 ± 33.9 kg) were individually fed diets for 18 d. Treatments (TRT) were hay only; free-choice (FC) hay with either whole cottonseed, dried distillers grains, or CPM; and CPM fed FC. Total DMI, respectively, by TRT were 6.77, 7.20, 6.67, 15.51, and 15.64 kg/d (P < 0.01; SE = 0.37). Apparent OM digestibility was 74.0% for FC hay with CPM and 72.2% for CPM fed FC and averaged 70.1% for other TRT (P < 0.02, SE = 1.00). In Exp. 2, CPM blocks were fed to pregnant Angus cows (n = 52; initial BW = 667.0 ± 53.67 kg) for 42 d. Cow TRT were FC hay only, 1 CPM block/6 cows with FC hay every 4 d, or every 3 d, and FC CPM blocks. Cow ADG (P < 0.01, SE = 0.08) and total DMI (kg/d; P < 0.01, SE = 0.22) by TRT were 0.39 and 13.49, 1.15 and 17.80, 0.88 and19.13, and 0.99 and 22.31, respectively. In Exp. 3, steers (n = 52; initial BW = 321 ± 15.1 kg) were fed CPM blocks FC or a soybean hull and dried distillers grains supplement on pastures for 62 d. The DMI and ADG (kg) for TRT were 11.18 and 0.69, and 6.53 and 0.76 (P < 0.03), respectively. The CPM blocks may become an alternative cattle feed, but DMI and feeding costs should be considered.