Nutritional composition of hay and cottonseed meal

Subsamples of core samples from hay bales taken before cattle feeding in both experiments were analyzed in-house for DM concentration in a 105 °C forced-air oven for 24 h. The remainder of the core samples were dried in a 55 °C forced-air oven for 72 h, composited within treatment, ground to pass a 2-mm screen in a Wiley mill (Thomas Scientific, Swedesboro, NJ), and sent to a commercial laboratory (Dairy One Forage Laboratory, Ithaca, NY) for analysis of organic matter, CP, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, lignin, and Ca concentrations.