A Revolutionary New Feed Ingredient.
Cotton Incorporated has developed a new cottonseed product that will completely change the feed industry. EasiFloTM cottonseed has the same nutritional benefits as fuzzy cottonseed, but is starch-coated to dramatically improve handling. This new cottonseed flows freely and can easily be augered through traditional grain handling equipment.
Preliminary research at the University of Tennessee shows EasiFlo cottonseed contains the same all-in-one source of protein, fiber and fat found in fuzzy cottonseed, but offers a slight advantage over the traditional seed in the area of dry matter intake. EasiFlo cottonseed can help boost milk production when added to the rations of lactating dairy cows.
And, EasiFlo cottonseed can be fed at the same rate as fuzzy cottonseed — 5 to 8 pounds per cow per day.
Developing EasiFlo Cottonseed
Some in the feed industry have been reluctant to fully utilize fuzzy cottonseed because of its challenging handling characteristics. The feedstuff can clump together and clog milling equipment, which can impact on labor and management costs. These facts prompted Cotton Incorporated to find a solution: a unique coated cottonseed that eliminates the flowability problem. A patented coating process seals cottonseed lint with a light paste of water and feed-grade cornstarch, which keeps the seed from sticking together.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cotton Ginning Research Laboratory in Lubbock, Texas, served as the pilot plant for EasiFlo cottonseed because of its proximity to the Cotton Belt. The lab’s belt conveyor dryer plays an essential role in EasiFlo cottonseed production. After the cottonseed is coated, it moves along the rapid belt conveyor dryer to ensure that water does not penetrate the seed.
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EasiFlo cottonseed flawlessly falls off
the conveyor as it completes the
coating process. |
Easy to Handle and Store.
Not only does EasiFlo cottonseed boast flowability benefits, but it has several other advantages over fuzzy cottonseed as well, including:
- Convenient handling
- Easy transportation
- Economical storage
EasiFlo cottonseed can be handled much more efficiently and effectively than fuzzy cottonseed. Fuzzy cottonseed is generally moved with a bucket loader and a live-bottom truck. EasiFlo cottonseed, however, can simply be augered, which greatly reduces handling time and labor costs.
 Additionally, EasiFlo cottonseed has storage advantages. The new coated seed has a greater bulk density than other cottonseed products. While fuzzy cottonseed and mechanically delinted cottonseed weigh 21 and 25 pounds per cubic foot, respectively.
EasiFlo cottonseed weighs 27 pounds per cubic foot. This allows feed companies and dairy producers to store up to 25 percent more EasiFlo cottonseed in the same amount of space originally used for fuzzy cottonseed. This density advantage also lowers shipping costs because greater amounts of EasiFlo cottonseed can be transported at once. The greater density saves EasiFlo cottonseed users about $20 a ton over fuzzy cottonseed on every 1,000 miles of freight. Plus, EasiFlo cottonseed can be moved in hopper-bottom trucks and rail cars versus the more expensive live bottoms.
EasiFlo Cottonseed is Ideal.
EasiFlo cottonseed has made a good product even better. With its all-in-one source of essential nutrients and easy handling characteristics, EasiFlo cottonseed is ideal for mills that are currently unable to handle fuzzy cottonseed.
To find out more about EasiFlo cottonseed, contact Tom Wedegaertner, associate director of Cottonseed Research and Marketing for Cotton Incorporated, at (919) 678-2369 or e-mail at twedegaertner@cottoninc.com. |
