Evaluation of Different Levels of Cottonseed Cake in the Diet of Finishing Beef Cattle in Katsina State

This study evaluates the effect of different levels of cottonseed cake supplementation on feed intake, weight gain, and feed efficiency of finishing beef cattle in Katsina State, North West Nigeria. Cottonseed cake is a protein-rich agro-industrial by-product abundantly available in Katsina State from the cotton processing industry. Its potential as a protein supplement for finishing cattle is significant, but the presence of free gossypol requires careful management of inclusion levels to avoid toxicity. This study uses a randomised complete block design with four dietary treatment groups of five Sokoto Gudali steers each, receiving a basal diet of sorghum stover, crop residues, and cottonseed cake at 0, 25, 50, and 75 percent replacement of groundnut cake protein. Feed intake, daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio, gross margin per steer, and blood gossypol levels are measured over 90 days. Findings reveal that 50 percent cottonseed cake replacement of groundnut cake protein produces the highest net weight gain and the best cost benefit ratio, reducing feed cost by 34 percent while maintaining equivalent performance to the groundnut cake control. Blood gossypol at 50 percent inclusion remains below the 4 micrograms per litre threshold. At 75 percent replacement, performance declines and blood gossypol approaches unsafe levels. The study concludes that 50 percent cottonseed cake inclusion is safe and economically advantageous for finishing beef cattle in Katsina State. It recommends iron supplementation alongside cottonseed cake to mitigate gossypol-iron interactions.

Keywords: cottonseed cake, finishing cattle, beef production, Katsina State, gossypol.