Instructions
Determine the type of chickens to feed. Newly hatched and young chickens receive a starter ration. Meat-type chickens eat broiler rations while laying hens consume layer feed.
Estimate the chickens' protein requirements. Broiler chicks receive a diet with 22 percent or more protein while standard breed chicks require about 20 percent protein. Laying hens consume a diet with at least 15 percent protein. A diet consisting solely of oats is deficient in protein for all classes of chickens.
Find the type of available oats. Usually, oats contain about 20 percent hulls. This results in a high-fiber and low-energy grain. However, hulless or naked varieties of oats are available in some areas. Naked oats have an energy level similar to corn but a higher protein content. The protein content ranges from 16 to 19 percent.
Feed oats as a scratch feed. Scratch feeds such as wheat, barley and oats are fed in addition to a complete poultry ration. Because of the lower energy level and palatability, do not feed more than 50 percent oats in a scratch mixture.
Consider feeding a higher level of oats during the summer and a lower level in the winter. Chickens require a higher level of energy during the cold winter weather, and higher-energy feed grains are preferred. Feed more oats during warm summers.
Use naked oats in up to 40 percent of a broiler diet. Above that level, the meat produced by the chickens may be less tender and juicy.
Formulate a laying hen diet with up to 66 percent naked oats. At this level, egg production is similar to hens receiving a corn-based diet. Because of the lower-energy level of oats, starter rations usually do not contain oats.
Avoid feeding large amounts of oat grain to chickens. Oats contain beta-glucans that can cause digestive problems in chickens.
How to Feed Chickens Oats
Corn is the standard feed ingredient for chicken diets. All other cereal grains are compared to corn when formulating chicken rations. Corn contains 90 percent TDN compared to 73 percent TDN for oats. TDN is a measure of the amount of energy in the feed, and corn is a higher-energy feed than oats. However, oats contain more crude protein than corn. The protein content of oats is 13.6 percent, while the corn content is about 9.8 percent.