The higher level of residual lint, the lighter the product color. Undelinted seed 18-25 lbs. per cubic foot. However, its availability is limited by competition with the cottonseed oil industry's demand for cottonseed. Whole cottonseed is relatively high in free gossypol content, making it unsuitable for feeding to non-ruminants. Whole cottonseed can be safely fed to cattle, sheep, and other ruminant animals, due to bacterial detoxification in the rumen.
Ruminal detoxification can become over-saturated, resulting in gossypol toxicity.
Therefore, the amount of whole cottonseed must be restricted in the ruminant diet. Greater restrictions on the amount of whole cottonseed in diets for breeding ruminants are suggested, due to negative impacts of gossypol upon reproductive performance. Whole cottonseed should not be fed to immature animals with non-functional rumens.