Oats have a higher food value than any other cereal grain. They are rich in starch and high- quality protein. Oats are the best grain to feed horses and many farmers use the straw from oats as bedding for their livestock. Russia produces more oats than any other country followed by the United States, Canada, and the nations of northwestern Europe. The main kinds of cultivated oats include common oats, red oats, side oats, and hull-less oats.
Common oats are the type most widely grown in the United States.
Oats can be grown in a variety of climates and soils. But they grow especially well in areas that have a cool, moist climate and fertile soil. Farmers grow two types of oats, spring oats and winter oats. Spring oats are planted in early spring and harvested in summer. Winter oats are planted in fall and harvested the next summer.