# Cottonseed hulls vs soybean hulls spread Cottonseed hulls versus Soybean hulls: the raw $/ton spread, on a dry-matter basis, and on cost per pound of protein and energy _Data through Aug 17, 2026 · source last checked Aug 27, 2026 · page revised Aug 27, 2026_ > Cottonseed hulls is $338/ton over Soybean hulls on a raw as-fed basis, but on the nutrient that matters here Soybean hulls is the cheaper source of a pound of TDN (energy) this week. A price screen, not a feeding recommendation. Soybean hulls is the cheaper energy source, costing $0.099 per pound of TDN against cottonseed hulls at $0.621. The price spread widens from $338 per ton as-fed to $370 per ton on a dry-matter basis. On protein, cottonseed hulls costs $3.895 per pound of crude protein versus $0.614 for soybean hulls. ## The numbers | Measure | Cottonseed hulls | Soybean hulls | Difference (Cottonseed hulls − Soybean hulls) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Price, $/ton as-fed | $475 | $137 | +$338 | | Price, $/ton dry matter | $522 | $152 | +$370 | | Cost per lb crude protein | $3.895 | $0.614 | +$3.282 | | Cost per lb TDN (energy) | $0.621 | $0.099 | +$0.523 | ## About Cottonseed hulls vs soybean hulls spread A raw $/ton spread is the starting point, not the answer. Two feeds at the same $/ton can deliver very different amounts of protein and energy per ton of dry matter, so the table above also shows each feed on a dry-matter basis and as a cost per pound of crude protein and per pound of TDN, the same math the nutrient-cost screening board runs. Basis: both are quoted fob plant, so the raw $/ton gap is a like-for-like comparison before freight. **Nutritional limits.** Cottonseed hulls are almost pure fiber, providing scratch factor rather than nutrients, while soybean hulls digest close to a grain and carry real energy value; substituting one for the other on a $/ton basis alone misleads because their fiber's fermentability is nothing alike. [Mississippi State University Extension](https://extension.msstate.edu/publications/feedstuffs-for-beef-cattle) covers roughage and mill byproduct fiber sources for cattle. This is a price screen on one or two nutrients, not a feeding recommendation: inclusion rates, amino-acid balance, effective fiber and palatability are the nutritionist's call, not a price table's. ## About this data - Source: Derived from USDA AMS feedstuffs board prices - Series: Cottonseed hulls vs soybean hulls - Basis: Two feeds differenced, as-fed $/ton - Geography: National - Unit: $/ton - Calculation period: Weekly - Last observation: Aug 17, 2026 - Update frequency: Weekly --- Cite: Cottonseed hulls vs soybean hulls is n/a on a $/ton as-fed basis as of Aug 17, 2026 (USDA feedstuffs board). The Ration. https://the-ration.com/spread/cottonseed-hulls-vs-soybean-hulls Canonical URL: https://the-ration.com/spread/cottonseed-hulls-vs-soybean-hulls