Use of Glandless Cottonseed Meal in Diets for Young Pigs

Two trials were conducted with young pigs to determine the nutritional value of two samples of cottonseed meal produced from glandless cottonseed. In one trial cottonseed meal replaced either 0, 50 or 100% of the soybean meal in the diet. With increasing levels of cottonseed meal rate of gain and efficiency of feed utilization were depressed. Addition of 0.1% L-lysine to these diets did not improve rate or efficiency of gain. Some improvement was obtained in nitrogen retention from the lysine addition. In a second trial all of the soybean meal was replaced with cottonseed meal. The diets containing cottonseed meal were supplemented with either 0, 0.2 or 0.4% L-lysine. The greatest response in gain, nitrogen retention and hematocrit was obtained from the addition of 0.4% L-lysine.