Hulless oats show promise for organic poultry feed

Researchers from Washington State University and Oregon State University just published their findings that hulless oats may provide organic poultry producers with an alternative to corn and wheat.  Shortages if organic feed grains, and consequently very high prices, have been a chronic challenge for organic livestock production in the U.S.Hulless oats are easier to certify as GM-free, compared with corn and soy. They have demonstrated nutritional value for poultry, and can be grown in many different climatic zones. This could offer more local feed production opportunities. Hulless oats did not have a negative effect on egg laying or hen health compared with a standard corn-based diet in the feeding study that was done. The oat-based diet was more expensive than the standard diet, based on current feed prices. However, the oat-based diet led to larger egg size which increased revenue that offset the higher feed cost. The study by Winkler et al. can be found in the most recent issue of Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems.