Three experiments were conducted to study the merit of feeding waste ground newsprint to cattle. In a digestion study newsprint dry matter, fiber and energy were found to be 29.7, 18.5 and 30.7% digestible, respectively. In the wintering study feeding 8% newsprint had no effect on animal performance but gains were significantly decreased when 16 or 24% newsprint was fed as compared to a 0% newsprint treatment. The lower gains were the result of depressed feed intake of the rations containing the higher percentages of newsprint. Gains and carcass characteristics of steers in a finishing study were not significantly affected by feeding 5 or 10% newsprint as a roughage substitute. Newsprint feeding did not affect the population of ruminal protozoa nor did it result in significant deposition of lead in muscle, liver or kidneys.
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Dinius et al. (1971) studied this question.