22/9/08

Growing naked oats for organic poultry feed

An event to be held in Ceredigion on Thursday 9 October will be an opportunity for farmers to find out about growing naked oats for organic poultry feed. It is being organized by Organic Centre Wales as part of the Farming Connect Organic Development Programme.

“Oats are an ideal crop for marginal areas, where the climate and soils aren’t suitable for growing wheat, so they can help organic farmers meet the 100% organic feed rule even on mainly grassland farms,” said Heather McCalman of the IBERS Grassland Development Centre. “Oats in general are an ideal crop for marginal cereal growing areas, especially in organic systems where there is no resort to soluble fertilisers to boost fertility. They are also competitive against weeds, tending to form dense crops, they are fairly disease resistant and they thrive on low fertility.”

The event starts at 1:30pm at IBERS Gogerddan, and includes a farm walk at Nantclyd Organics, near Llanilar, where Liz Findlay produces organic eggs, horticulture and sheep on a small farm and has grown a small area of naked oats this year. It will draw on the expertise of organic producers, specialist oat breeders and nutritionists to look at the pros and cons of home production of naked oats, so that producers can decide if it would be worth it for them.

Naked oats thresh free from their husks when combining, and have a high energy and oil content, good protein content with a favourable amino acid profile, making them particularly attractive for non-ruminants like pigs and poultry. “Naked oats, including varieties like Bullion or Zuton which were bred at IBERS in Aberystwyth, are particularly valuable for poultry and pigs, because they are dense in nutrients and have high quality protein,” says Heather McCalman.

As of January this year, all poultry producers are required to provide at least 90% organic feed for their birds, in order to maintain the integrity of the organic product and meet consumer expectations. Organic systems also emphasize self-sufficiency from the farm’s own resources where possible, in line with principles of sustainability, and there will be an increasing requirement to use home-grown feeds in future.

Please contact Tony Little to book a place on this event. Transport can be provided between Plas Gogerddan and Nantclyd if necessary.

Ends

More information Tony Little, Advisory Services Coordinator, Organic Centre Wales, Aberystwyth University. Tel. 01970 622100, e-mail jll@aber.ac.uk. 

Notes for the editor

1. Organic Centre Wales is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government to provide information on organic food and farming to producers, food businesses, consumers and others. It is based at Aberystwyth University and run by a partnership consisting of the ADAS, the Organic Research Centre Elm Farm, and the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth University.

2. The Organic Conversion Information Service (01970 622100) is funded by WAG to provide information to producers considering conversion – an information pack and up to two free on-farm visits are available.

3. The Organic Farming Scheme is open for applications – further information can be obtained from WAG Divisional Offices and OCW. To qualify, farms need to be certified as organic by a recognised body and have completed an OFS application form which needs to be accepted by WAG.

4. Farming Connect, working closely with its partner organisations, provides one to one support, knowledge, expertise, training and advisory services tailored to the needs of farmers in Wales. Many of these services are fully funded or subsidised and the service is both flexible and accessible. You can register with the Farming Connect Service Centre on 08456 000 813 or contact Farming Connect directly at your nearest WAG Divisional Office. OCW is funded by Farming Connect to deliver the Organic Development Programme.

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