Nutritional value of naked oats (Avena nuda) in laying hen diets.

1. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the use of naked oats (NO) in layer diets. In experiment 1 the use of NO supplemented with minerals, vitamins and lysine was examined. In experiment 2 layers were fed equicaloric and isonitrogenous diets containing 0-66% NO. 2. Layers fed ground NO supplemented with minerals, vitamins and lysine for 6 weeks exhibited a significant depression in food intake, egg production, egg weight and shell strength. 3. Substitution of NO at 20-66% resulted in performance comparable to that of birds fed a maize-soyabean meal diet for 12 weeks. Food intake was reduced in the first week of the experiment in birds fed diets with NO; thereafter, treatment effects were not detected. Yolk colour index progressively decreased as dietary inclusion of NO increased. 4. It is concluded that naked oats can be used at levels up to 66% in layer diets to replace all or part of the maize and part of the soyabean meal without any reduction in performance.