What to feed for Omega-3?

[purpletree23]

Fish meal could give the eggs a fishy taste. Go with flax seed.

 

[NancyDz]

All the feed stores around here carry flax seed, I just give it whole, mixed in with their pellets.

 

[Renee]

From what I understand, it is very difficult to actually affect the nutritional components of an egg without a strictly controlled diet with measured amounts of supplements like flax seed.

I mix some in their scratch treat anyway.

 

[RachelFromTheBlackLagoon]

Pardon me if this is a completely ignorant question, but if you want to increase your Omega-3 intake wouldn't it make more sense to eat the flax yourself rather than feed it to the chickens and then eat their eggs? It kind of seems like it would be more cost effective, as well.

 

[dancesWchickens]

I hate the texture of flax seed myself, but my chickens don't seem to mind. I did some research and found out the expensive "high omega-3" eggs you can buy at the grocery store are from chickens fed flax seed. I feed mine flax seed. You can buy feed-grade flax seed that is not very expensive compared to what they offer for human use.

 

[alpinefarm]

My chickens won't eat flax seed. Maybe there was something wrong with the seed, but they beaked it out and absolutely ignored it long term.

I feed them raw fish (my husband is a flyfishing devotee), but I'm interested in the kidney bean possibility now. I understand beans are fine in chicken diet as long as they are cooked.

 

[NCchickenman1958]

I saw flax seed at the health food store in the city I live near today and almost bought some, it was only 1.99 lb. not too expensive to mix in their treat. I bought some sunflower and roasted peanuts ( no salt ) and they went their usual wacked out frenzy for them. I think I will pick up some flax seed next time. My girls havent started laying yet but I have quite a few customers lined up to buy eggs (enough to easily pay for their food ) when they start laying so the added omega 3 is a good selling point.