Doves and cotton

There is a cotton field (on someone elses property) directly adjacent to my dove field. Many doves were landing in the cotton today during feeding time. Just curious why they would be attracted to the cotton? Any ideas?

Who knows...bird seed, cracked corn.

Might be begger's lice though

Definitely not that. The owner doesn't hunt and leases the land for farming.

I bet doves would eat cotton seed I know cows and goats do. Maybe a lot of sickle pod seed in the field?

I thought cotton seeds are in the fibers of the cotton?

I'm not sure what attracts them but use to have some great shoot on a buddies property when cotton was tall and defoliated before they picked it

Had great shoots in cotton after defoliated that had redweed and croton grwing in it

Doves land in cotton for the shade and cover from over head predators. Also there's weed seed under it. Lots of my guys fly wheat or rye over it before defol for cover crop so they might have done that too. And cotton lint and seed are 2 totally different things.

We've killed a b lunch of ducks in harvested cotton fields. Redman's comes to mind along with a few other fields in Lauderdale Co.

We've killed doves on harvested cotton fields during the late season too.