Feeding flax seeds?

[eggxentric]

You hear alot about Omega Eggs (they are really expensive in my health food market). Has anyone been successful in feeding their hens flax seeds? Wouldn't this create Omega rich eggs?
Thanks

 

[NancyDz]

I give some flax seed to my chickens a couple times a week, just mix it in with their food. I buy it in bulk at my feed store.


Nancy

 

[Glenda L Heywood]

doesn't flax seed need to be cracked for their bodies to absorb the omega 3 oils?

I got this info from


flax seed for chickens - whole or ground?
... read various studies about feeding flaxseed to chickens and how it will increase ... RE: flax seed for chickens - whole or ground? ...forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/farmlife/msg0816411030304.html?7 - Cached

Not sure, but I read an interesting article recently about flaxseed... Flaxseed releases cyanide when soaked. It also says its released when ground--but if you don't grind, they just pass through... It says it would take 11 lbs of flaxseed soaked in water for 3 hrs to kill a horse. It does say that ground flaxseed has the most benefit... and that boiling it for 10 minutes will destroy the glycosidase enzyme so no cyanide can be produced.


Are your chickens free-range? I have read that fresh grass is rich in omega-3, that's why beef and dairy products from grass-fed cows are high in omega-3's.
Wouldn't this also apply to eggs from 'grass-fed' chickens? Could that mean there is little or no benefit to feeding flax seed to free-range chickens?

just some thoughts
interesting how grass fed chickens do have the omega 3 in the eggs
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[eggxentric]

Thank you for the great info! My birds are free range with layer pellet supplements. Cheers!

 

[cherig22]

When I first started, I thought the hulls looked really hard. So I just add it to oatmeal and cook it. When I find my grinder, I am going to run it through and add to feed as well. I use it more for worming properties than omega.

Cheri