How to Increase Oat Feed Value

The energy content of unhulled oat is lower than that of other cereals. The feed value of oat can be improved by hulling (removing the husk from the grain/kernel) it before use, after which its feed value is comparable with corn and wheat. The share of the husk in the weight of the grain varies between 23% and 30%. 

Oats contains more fat (5-7%) than other cereals. The fatty acid composition of oat is better than that of other cereals. This high fat content makes oat a valuable, energy rich fodder cereal for feeding all kinds of animals. 

Oats contains more raw protein than other cereals with particularly high levels of lysine. Their high fibre content is good for poultry promoting good digestion and gizzard activity which keeps the birds calm. The proportion of oats in the chicken feed mixtures is about 20%, but its share can be increased to 50% towards the end of the egg laying season. Oats also improve the quality of the egg shell as well as the fatty acid composition and nutritional value of the eggs. 

Oats are also beneficial for sows and piglets. Adding oat to the feed mixtures of pigs improves their stomach health, prevents diarrhea, constipation and gastric ulcers. Hulled oats are a good raw material for piglet feed.

Oats are notoriously used for horses being considered to be the best cereal feed. The oats higher fat content increases the energy value and the starch is mainly in the form of easily digestible amylose. Corn can be easily replaced by oats in horse feed. 

Nitrogen and sulfur fertilization is important when growing for fodder as both have improved liveweight gain for livestock when the applications are optimized.