Effect of Protein Level in the Ration on Gossypol Tolerance in Growing-Fattening Pigs

Restriction of the free gossypol content of the ration to 0.01% or less provided a safe level for feeding cottonseed oil meal to growing-fattening pigs. Such rations may be self-fed in self-feeders with good results. Although levels of free gossypol above 0.01% resulted in toxicity symptoms and death of some of the pigs in each group, none of the pigs receiving the 30% protein ration showed any symptoms of toxicity whatsoever. Animals which died on the 15% protein ration consumed up to 39.6 gm. of free gossypol. Every pig in the groups fed 30% crude protein ration (and with either 0.02% or 0.03% free gossypol in the ration) consumed more free gossypol than did any of the pigs which died on the 15% crude protein ration. When the low free gossypol cottonseed oil meal was fed, the pigs gained as well on the half cottonseed oil meal-half soybean oil meal supplement as did the pigs on the soybean oil meal alone supplement.