Yes, chickens can consume both raw and cooked oats as a nutritious source of protein, soluble fiber, calcium, iron and zinc as well as antioxidants.
Oatmeal can help prevent pasty butt in chicks, providing a warming winter treat for your flock. Oatmeal should only be fed in small amounts as an add-on diet supplement.
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Phytic Acid
Health bloggers and Paleo thought leaders often advise against eating grains, nuts, seeds and beans that contain high concentrations of phytic acid due to its ability to bind with minerals such as iron, zinc, calcium and magnesium and render them unavailable for absorption by the body.
Monogastric animals such as poultry and humans can digest phytic acid with the help of special enzymes called myo-inositol hexaphosphate phosphohydrolase that are active at about pH 5. Adding phytases to feed can decrease its antinutrient effects by binding it with inorganic phosphorus to increase mineral availability and availability.
Occasional higher phytate meals won’t pose too much of a threat for healthy individuals, but greater caution must be exercised if two or more daily meals rely heavily on grain-based foods while lacking in fat-soluble vitamins like Vitamin C and D.
Calcium
Oats provide essential calcium to keep your flock’s bones and teeth in good shape, but beware of overfeeding them, as their high carb count can cause weight gain while simultaneously offsetting nutrition.
Remember to provide variety in their diet; oatmeal provides essential carbohydrates and can even provide warmth during winter.
While chickens are capable of digesting raw oats, soaking them makes the food easier for their bodies to process and allows for maximum nutrition intake from this nutritious source.
Iron
A healthy diet can help your hen maintain balanced iron levels. To optimize results, offer your flock a combination of meaty foods, grains and vegetables; foods rich in iron include scrambled eggs (without salt), red meat and dark green veggies like spinach and broccoli as well as pumpkin seeds which provide ample amounts of iron. However, avoid feeding chickens rhubarb which contains oxalic acid which could potentially prove fatal for their wellbeing.
Whole oats are an excellent source of dietary fibre, especially beta-glucan. Oats also boast numerous minerals and unique plant compounds such as avenanthramides that may protect against heart disease. Research suggests that eating oat bran or flour can reduce blood cholesterol levels and risk for heart attack; additionally they contain plenty of soluble fibre to relieve constipation (11). Steel-cut and old-fashioned varieties tend to contain higher concentrations of this soluble fibre which has proven particularly helpful against constipation (11).
Zinc
Zinc is an essential trace mineral required by both pigs and poultry for proper biological functioning. Zinc levels are greatly influenced by gut microbiota and play an integral part in intestinal development and recovery after enteric diseases.
Feeding zinc-rich breeder diets improves chick quality by developing strong bones during embryogenesis and supporting muscle deposition. According to research, chicks fed Zinpro Lifetime Performance exhibit stronger tibia and femur bones – up to 3% wider – than control groups.
Zinc provides many other essential functions, including immune support, protein and DNA synthesis, cell signaling and cofactoring of over 1,000 enzymes. Zinc stores primarily in muscle and bone. Zinc can help improve appetite and reproductive efficiency as well as skin and skeletal health and offers antioxidative activity (Hidayat et al 2020).
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic compounds essential for normal body functions, growth and reproduction in poultry. While they can produce some vitamins themselves, others must come from their diet.
While free-range chickens typically meet their nutritional needs without supplementation, it may be beneficial to provide additional supplements during harsh winters or molting periods to aid them in recovering from stress or disease.
Studies suggest that oat beta-glucans possess cholesterol-reducing properties. Furthermore, they may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. Research also shows that oats contain Vitamin E which helps protect chicks against diseases such as E. coli by increasing phagocytosis and antibody production; additionally oats provide Vitamin K2 that assists birds in properly absorbing calcium and Vitamin D.
