Sunflower seeds and fatty liver..

[Sofi]

Hello everybody!

I've been supplementing my girls' diet with sunflower seeds (just a couple handfuls a day) and they love it!

I'm trying to feed them some foods rich in omega3s (so that goes in their eggs)... Today they had a piece of leftover baked sockeye salmon and they DEVOURED it (talk about hens being spoiled).

Anyway, here's my question: how much is too much?? I read some posts on here about chickens suddenly dying of fatty liver and got a little scared...

Any good ideas for increasing the amount of Omega3s on their diets?

Thanks a lot!!

 

[lazy gardener]

 

[Percheron chick]

Sunflower seeds are extremely high in omega 6 FAs and virtually non existent in omega 3 FAs. Cheapest and easiest way to add omega 3 FAs is to mix flax seed in with their layer. Next time, you eat the salmon but give them the skin.

 

[centrarchid]

Anything critter I push nutritionally, especially with diets high in carbohydrate, tends to get enlarged liver. Effect is not as evident with high fat diets. Critters I have actually looked into liver composition, the "fatty" nature is actually glycogen (storage form of glucose). Generally speaking, when we feed our birds for sustained laying which is in itself not all that natural, we are pushing them nutritionally so they can maintain production.