| dc.description.abstract | The biological value of cottonseed meal is dependent upon the quality of the protein and upon the amount of free gossypol, a toxic substance found in the pigment gland of cottonseed. Recent research has shown that processing conditions which reduce the free gossypol content of the meals can also damage protein quality. Commercial cottonseed meals produced by improved methods of processing have become available on the market during recent years. The purpose of this study was to determine the dietary value of these meals as compared with that of soybean meal for the growth of chicks. Three experiments were performed on groups of growing chicks. In the first test, six groups of chicks were fed semi-purified diets containing 15 percent of several samples of cottonseed meal which were processed under different conditions. Soybean meal replaced cottonseed meal in the control diet. In the second experiment five lots of chicks in triplicate pens were fed semi-purified rations containing O, 12, 24, 36, and 48 percent of cottonseed meal and 40, JO, 20, 10, and O percent of soybean meal, respectively. The final experiment investigated the ability of cottonseed meal to replace soybean meal in a complete practical type broiler mash. | |
