Flax Seed?

[tdballew]

Where do you get Flax Seed for your chickens and how is the best way to feed it to them?

Thanks

 

[feathersnuggles]

I get mine in bulk at the local health food coop. But you could do a search online and get it, I believe. My layer pellet feed has flax as one of the ingredients (smells a bit like peanut butter when I open the bag). But if you like to feed flax separately, you can scatter it over a treat you feed them, or mix it into their scratch like any of the other seeds.

 

[Chris09]

You by it under the name Flax Seed or Linseed.
Some feed mills have it and also some of the stores that sell wild bird seed might ever have it...

Chris

 

[alicefelldown]

Check out this page, from the University of CA regarding flax seed:

THE USE OF FLAXSEED AS A POULTRY FEEDSTUFF
F.H. Kratzer and Pran Vohra University of California, Avian Sciences Department, Davis, CA 95616

 

[sparkles2307]

Quote:
If there are any grain elevators in your area they might know where to get it.

We get our from DH's work for free if any bags break in shipping.

 

[Rockpile99]

Whole Foods - Bulk $1.99/lb.

My local grain mill from whom I buy bulk feed, did some research for me and told me that you only need to supplement 5% flax to get as much value as you're going to get from adding flax. Adding more than that won't get you to a higher omega -3 value. I just mix it in with the rest of the feed and serve it up.

I'd love to be able to test my eggs just to see that it is indeed having the desired effect, but I don't know of a way to do that, or who I'd have to contact about it.

 

[felidaet]

I buy it at a local feed store. A 50lb bag is lasting me quite awhile. I have had it about 4 months and have only used a small amount of the bag, probably less than 1/4 of it. I mix about 3 - 4 cups of flax seed with each 50 lb bag of feed. I have no idea if this is enough. One of these days I will weigh some to see how much I should be mixing with 50lbs of feed.

I believe I paid about $35 for the 50lb bag.

 

[GardeNerd]

I buy mine at a local natural food store, Sprouts, that sells lots of stuff in bulk. I only buy enough to last a month at a time and I mix a hand full into their feeder when I fill it.

 

[Renee']

Quote:
Long story short.... "Historically, linseed meal has not been a satisfactory feedstuff for poultry".

This is the very same article that steered me away from feeding it to my chickens and wasting my $.

 

[aalbury]

Renee' :

Quote:
Long story short.... "Historically, linseed meal has not been a satisfactory feedstuff for poultry".

This is the very same article that steered me away from feeding it to my chickens and wasting my $.

They (or - tdbalew) are not asking about linseed *meal* where everything has been removed and then what's left is what they sell as "meal" for cattle. They are speaking of buying the whole seeds for their chickens...

What it says about linseed OIL which would be found in the seed is " Linseed oil is a rich source of linolenic acid which can be incorporated into the meat and eggs of birds to which it is fed. The total omega-3 fatty acids are increased in these poultry products, however, there is some evidence that a fish flavor may result. The health benefits and the cost effectiveness of producing and consuming omega-3 enriched eggs is still under investigation."​