The working relationship between cotton and cattle was evaluated in a series of experiments. Initially, we evaluated the effect of whole cottonseed on growth, reproductive parameters, and manganese superoxide dismutase concentrations in the blood and semen of mature beef bulls, and the effects of heat damage on in situ nitrogen availability and dry matter disappearance of whole cottonseed. Whole cottonseed did not impact reproductive parameters, but heat damage did negatively impact dry matter disappearance and nitrogen availability of whole cottonseed. In the second experiment, late gestation beef cows were grazed on post-harvest, cotton crop residue in winter months to reduce supplemental hay cost. Finally, common supplemental feedstuffs were fermented in vitro in the presence of 5 gossypol concentrations to evaluate the effects of gossypol on dry matter disappearance and end-product fermentation. Grazing cotton crop residue reduced cost of gain and gossypol decreased dry matter disappearance and volatile fatty acid production.