Omega 3 ???

[EliteTempleton]

Quote:
When they cut open those arterial plaques that kill you, they are loaded with omega 6 fatty acids...NOT saturated fat like some would have you believe. The only plant based oils I use are coconut oil and olive oil.

Where do you find coconut oil? Those are the two I'd like to use but I can only find olive oil.

 

[redoak]

Interesting, think I'll cut back on BOSS and corn and look for some whole grain and more flax seed to feed them.

 

[Wifezilla]

There are two kinds you can get at Walmart. The Luann brand refined over by the olive oils or the virgin coconut oil over by the vitamins. The refined is cheaper and has no flavor. The virgin coconut oil has a strong coconut taste.

 

[Wifezilla]

No can do. I'm sensitive to artificial sweetners. Splenda gives me a migraine and Equal sends me into a catatonic state. I've got major food & allergy issues

Hummm....there is always Zevia. It's spendy, but is sweetened with Stevia instead of artificial sweeteners.​

 

[rosegal]

Ok, being new to what chickens can digest??? My hens attack the buckets of fresh grasses I pick for them every day, like it is candy. Are they not getting any benefit from this?

 

[briteday]

Here's a good biochemical explanation of omega fats. In short, they are both polyunsaturated fat, both therefore good, but need to be in balance. Too much omega 6 (corn, sunflower, soy) causes inflammation. Weil states that up to 20% of calories in the modern American diet comes from soy oils in processed foods. Yikes! I knew I was feeding my chickens flax seed for a reason, but that puts the icing on the cake. But remember that we need both omega 6 and omega 3 in the diet. We just need to be more in balance by raising our intake of omega 3.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA400149/balancing-omega-3-and-omega-6.html

 

[CovenantCreek]

Quote:
That's one reason why I prefer soy-free feed for the flock, too. Not to mention the phytoestrogens (sp?) my daughter doesn't really need in her diet.

 

[Wifezilla]

My hens attack the buckets of fresh grasses I pick for them every day, like it is candy. Are they not getting any benefit from this?

Sure they are. It just isn't very nutrient dense. Keep giving them their salad

 

[chickenannie]

Quote:
Sure they are. It just isn't very nutrient dense. Keep giving them their salad

Chickens may not get the same nutrient from grass that a ruminant would, but surely they are getting some vitamins and minerals from grass/greens. I can't imagine why they would even bother to eat it otherwise -- it wouldn't make sense evolutionary-wise since they tend to gobble down grass and greens. And pastured eggs are completely different in color, richness, shape, and composition than non-pastured. If not from greens, where would these changes be coming from?

 

[redoak]

I checked out the layer feed and the first thing on the label is barley and not corn.

Instead of planting alot of sunflowers for the chickens I ordered a bunch of spring oats to plant. I also read that pumpkin seeds are high in Omega 3. I still have about 25 squash/pumpkins left in the basement that the chickens will get the seeds from.