Evaluation of high protein oats as a replacement for corn in diets fed to growing-finishing swine

In a series of five trials, 680 crossbred pigs were fed isolysine diets in which high protein (13.8 to 16.0%) oats constituted 0, 20, 40 or 60% of the cereal portion. There was a linear depression in average daily gain (P less than .001) and average daily feed intake (P less than .005) with increasing level of oats, but feed/gain was unaffected (P less than .05) during the growing period from 22 to 46 kg. There were no significant differences in average daily gain during the finishing period from 46 to 102 kg; however, feed/gain increased linearly (P less than .01) with increasing level of oats in the diet. Increases in the percentage of oats in the cereal portion of the diet resulted in a linear (P less than .01) decrease in average daily gain and an increase (P less than .01) in feed/gain for the entire feeding period. We conclude that high protein-high lysine oats of the quality used in these trials can be included at up to 20% of the cereal portion of the diet without greatly affecting performance.