The objective was to indicate appropriate inclusion levels of of whole cottonseed in feedlot lambs diets. Two experiments were conducted: in the first were used five rumen fitted sheep distributed in a 5x5 Latin square design, in which were evaluated diets absent and with 7; 14, 21 and 28% inclusion of whole cottonseed. In the second experiment, 24 lambs were used with 27.3kg of initial body weight, to assess the performance, in order to evaluate diets absent and with 10; 20 and 30% inclusion of whole cottonseed. Diets containing a forage:concentrate ratio of 50:50, were used the corn silage utilized as roughage. There were no effects of the inclusion levels of whole cottonseed on intake of dry matter and organic matter. The intake of NDF and EE were increased, and ruminal pH was increased linearly with the addition of whole cottonseed on the diet. In contrast, the concentration of rumen ammonia nitrogen was reduced linearly with the addition of whole cottonseed on the diet. The increase of the percentage of whole cottonseed to the diet linearly reduced lambs weight gain. The whole cottonseed can be used to feedlot sheep up to 10% of inclusion levels in diets.
digestibility; intake; nutrients; performance; rumen parameters