The Use of Ferrous Sulfate to Inactivate Gossypol in Diets of Laying Hens

Abstract

IT has been demonstrated that cottonseed meal normally contains gossypol which is responsible for dark or discolored yolks in stored eggs. Among studies which established this relationship were those of Sherwood (1928), Sipe (1931) and Schaible et al. (1934). More recently Heywang et al. (1949) showed that diets containing 0.008% or more of free gossypol produced yolk discoloration in stored eggs. These workers further stated that the extent of discoloration of yolks was proportional to the free gossypol content of the diets. In other studies such as that of Morgan and Smith (1932) attempts were made to prevent the gossypol effect by substituting other protein feeds for a part of the cottonseed meal in the laying diet. This method was not successful. Heywang, Bird and Kupperman (1952) reported that the incorporation of pure gossypol into a mixed diet resulted in the inactivation of at least a part of the gossypol… .