A comparison of barley and corn and barley and oats as major protein sources in diets for laying pullets

Experiments were conducted to evaluate yellow corn, barley, oats and combinations of corn or oats with barley as the major protein source in diets for laying pullets. In trial 1, corn and barley were compared. Six diets were fed calculated to contain 8.26 percent of crude protein (7*.16 percent from grain and 1.1 percent from non variables) and about 2966 kilocalories of metabolizable energy per kilogram. The diets were formulated so that 0, 20, 40, 60, 60, or 100 percent of grain protein was supplied by barley and the remainder by corn. Mortality, egg quality, egg size, and feed consumption were not significantly (P < 0.05) influenced by the experimental diets. Average egg production was lower for pullets fed the all barley diet than for those fed the corn and the barley corn combinations (P ^ 0.05). Barley fed hens produced much lighter colored yolks of eggs than hens fed the corn and corn barley mixtures. The average weight was less as the percentage of corn was increased in the diet. The birds receiving the all corn diet lost more body weight than those fed all barley and barley corn combinations. In trial 2, barley and oats were compared. The diets were calculated to contain the same protein and metabolizable energy levels as used in trial 1, The diets were formulated as in trial 1, Mortality, egg quality, egg weights, and egg size were not significantly (P < 0.05) influenced by the experimental diets. The pullets receiving the all oats diet had the lowest rate of egg production, the difference being significant at the 5 percent level of probability. As the percent oats increased in the diet, the egg production tended to decrease. The birds receiving all oats diets consumed more feed per dozen eggs produced, and lost more body weight than the other groups of birds.