Author Topic: Hulless Oats as feed (Read 8687 times)

oink · « **on:** July 27, 2009, 03:24:31 pm »

Anyone tried growing these for their pigs? I've just been going off on tangents on the internet and I ended up reading about hulless oats ( Avena nuda, naked oats ).

Apparently they're high in protein and can make up to 95% of a grower / finisher's diet! In the benefits section of the link below;

http://www.organicmeadowcoop.com/index.php?page=hulless-oats

Also they don't have to be milled.

I'm sure they'll be some unforeseen problem but I thought I'd see what the experts thought

It does mention that storage can be a problem.

Here's another link on the subject;

http://www.westonaprice.org/farming/naked-oats.html

Hilarysmum · « **Reply #1 on:** July 27, 2009, 06:07:35 pm »

By no means an expert, however only problem I can foresee would be harvesting, for us, the amount of land we could put into production would not cover the cost of the man to harvest them.

rustyme · « **Reply #2 on:** July 27, 2009, 06:45:50 pm »

one person with a scythe could cut an acre a day , so 4 people with a scythe would have the job done in a couple of hours , or say a morning if taking it easy and enjoying the job . That would give a ton or so of feed , plus maybe the same in straw . I have mentioned to people before about using a scythe and some have nearly had a fit ....all that hard work !!! well yes it is harder than sitting down reading a book , but those same people think nothing of going out with one of those blo*dy strimmers and spending all afternoon deafening half the neighbourhood. A scythe is easier to use than a strimmer and quieter too , and the only fuel you need is a couple of cheese sandwiches and a nice cup of tea !!! job done . It keeps you fit , isn't really that much hard work , and is free . One ton of free animal feed and the same of straw , per acre , has to be worth the effort

An acre is only 70 yards square after all !!! Not too sure on sowing amounts , but if it is about the same as wheat then , 3-4lb will sow an area about 60x10 and that would yield enough seed to sow an acre the following year appx. The reason for growing so little first , is you learn to grow on a small scale , and therefore less cost and loss if something goes wrong .

cheers

Russ

Higgins11 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 28, 2009, 02:21:53 am »

ok stupid question............what is the difference between hulless oats and regular oats

Hilarysmum · « **Reply #4 on:** July 28, 2009, 06:49:34 am »

Russ had never thought of a scythe. I suppose it would be possible to harvest with a strimmer if so inclined? How would you remove the oats from the straw? What would be the best way to store the straw as baling would not be an option?

Have a friend who lost half his wheat crop making it too costly to hire a combine. This could well be the answer. Thanks

oink · « **Reply #5 on:** July 28, 2009, 12:56:42 pm »

Higginhs11, basically the main difference is hulless oats don't need to be milled before you can feed them to your livestock because the "...kernels thresh free of the hulls".

I think the major drawback is that because the hulls are not protecting them they are unsuitable for mass production as the heavy machinery used will damage them. However, on a smallholder basis they seem to be fine.

Just a quick question for rustyme (or anyone else who knows) if you know the answer. I saw on a previous thread you talking about comfrey block 14. I was just wandering if i used it (or these hulles oats for that matter ) to replace half of the pigs ration of nuts would I replace it pound for pound or would it be 4:1. I ask as I replace veg for nuts at a ratio of 4:1 but I was wondering if as these are more nutritious they could replace 1:1.

Cheers

Higgins11 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 28, 2009, 02:04:59 pm »

Thanks oink

my question still remain that if i go and buy oats that the farmer down the road combined is that NUTRITIONALLY any different than feeding hulless oats

although I have heard that rolled or crimped oats do seem to be more benificial to the animal just don't understand why

oink · « **Reply #7 on:** July 28, 2009, 02:49:31 pm »

Hi Higgins11,

I got the following paragraph from an article about feeding oats to horses @ http://www.pet-health-advisor.com/naturalhorsegrain.html

"Hulless oats are available and contain about 27% more protein and 49% more fat than whole oats. They contain about 5% fiber as compared to about 10.5-12% fiber for whole oats, but a Cornell study showed that 40% of the fiber was digestible compared to 30% of the whole oats. (Your main source of fiber should be forage, though.) Hulless oats offer more than hulled oats when it comes to amino acids - 50% more methionine and 60% more lysine. Because hulless oats contain more digestible energy than whole oats, you will feed 1/4 less. Hulless oats are a natural horse grain since the oat itself grows with an envelope but not a hull - it is only to protect from temperature change. When it is ready to be harvested, the envelope falls down."

Hope it helps, I really don't know too much about the subject myself.

rustyme · « **Reply #8 on:** July 28, 2009, 03:13:49 pm »

Higgins11,
   basically , Oats is Oats and they will all be similar in nutritional value, once all considerations are taken into account. You may have to balance amounts fed, to allow for different take up rates of nutrients between normal oats and hulless.
http://books.google.com/books?id=gtqEWcA73BEC&pg=PA142&lpg=PA142&dq=hulless+oats+nutritional+value&source=bl&ots=HwBihASDxj&sig=jE9gN4pquZ04feXv9OBu2QIcT2I&hl=en&ei=hv9uSq3WI-WhjAe1u9yTBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3

Damage from combining etc would only really matter if you are keeping seed to sow the following season .Therefore harvest any seed needed for sowing by hand !!. For animal feed, the damage caused shouldn't make much difference.

   rolling or crimping is done as the actual seed is hard and would go through the animals system virtually untouched. So they roll or crimp, to make the seed more palletable and more able to break down and release nutrients into the system .

Oink,
   Comfrey ,bocking 14, would probably work out at about 4:1 as most of the weight is water when fed fresh . Oats would be nearer 1:1 , but a good varied feed would still be needed. Oats , Comfrey and veggies in a ratio that suited your growing system would be fine , remembering that you won't have comfrey between say Sept and April !! But if you planned right, you could have Mangels from christmas onwards instead .

cheers

Russ

Muc · « **Reply #9 on:** July 29, 2009, 03:31:40 pm »

That was an inspiring post Rusty. I've always shied away from growing crops that require machinery but will definitely give the scythe a go. I suppose I'll have to get in machinery to plough and sow - unless you have an alternative?
Regards,
Muc

rustyme · « **Reply #10 on:** July 29, 2009, 04:11:05 pm »

Ploughing/digging sowing etc depends on plot size. Allotment sized plots are easily dug by hand if ? you are able bodied. Any bigger than that (90'x30') and you would either want extra hands to help dig or you would want the use of a two wheeled tractor or rotavator, or if much bigger and access was good then a tractor with plough . Another way would be to get a couple of horses and plough with those. You could also get some pigs and let them do the work for you , but you still have to dig or rotavate afterwards. I suffer from a terrible affliction ... no money !!! . So I have to make do with hand digging which I get done over time . For my wheat though I will be using a horse plough pulled behind my 4x4 , many ways to skin a cat, as they say . As for sowing , you can buy walk behind seed sowers or you can just sow by hand . An acre doesn't take very long to do , but if you want a given amount per square yard or a given distance for weeding etc then a seed drill would be needed . As I say you can get walk behind ones but I have a set of plans to make a replica of Jethro Tull's seed drill . That I can use my pony or the 4x4 again or even use a 12v winch and cable to pull it across the field . The 12v winch also pulls the horse plough fine , if just a bit on the slow side. An old car starter motor fixed to a hand winch would work ok and be much cheaper than a bought good quality 12v winch.

cheers

Russ

Muc · « **Reply #11 on:** July 29, 2009, 08:25:14 pm »

Russ, I think you're getting into Heath Robinson inventions with that winch but I like your style.
There's a stretch of water between me and the nearest pub - less than half a mile by sea and 10 miles by road. I've spent 15 years dreaming up all sorts of cable-cars, winched rafts etc and still haven't done it. I should add that the current is extremely swift and dangerous. So, in an idle moment, would you invent something for me?
And, I'm going to work on the winch idea. If you had a secure rail along one side of a field you could pull the plough towards it with a motor and then move it along in strips. The problem with the car starter-motor is in gearing it down so the plough is slow enough and also being able to cut the motor when you hit a rock or fall over. Also, you wouldn't need a traditional plough but something that would drag a shallow trench.
I think I'll go and watch television now; my brain is over-heating.
Regards, Muc

Rosemary · « **Reply #12 on:** July 29, 2009, 08:32:59 pm »

Who was Heath Robinson? Was there really such a person?

rustyme · « **Reply #13 on:** July 29, 2009, 08:33:32 pm »

Hello HM ,
never grown hulless oats so not sure of their harvesting etc . I would think that the best way of storing the straw would be to collect in stooks ie a really good armfull tied into a bundle with a few strands of straw , this would then be dried in the field then stored in a stack in the old days , but now more likely to be kept in a barn . To thresh you could use an old thresher if you have one hanging about ? or maybe you could use flails . You could make a flail with a couple of broom handles . Drill a hole in one end of each stick and tie them loosely together with some bailing string or old leather boot laces . You then hold one of the sticks and beat the cr*p out of some oats spread on the floor. I threshed some wheat with a bike turned upside down , stood on saddle and handlebars ,and then turned the peddles and slowly fed the ends of handsfull of wheat into the revolving rear wheel . It stripped the wheat grain clean off with little trouble. All the wheat was collected on a tarp on the floor. The straw then would just store in a barn or shed till wanted . All depends on how much there is to do really . An old but working electric cement mixer ,could be converted into a threshing machine too.

cheers

Russ