Consumers with health-focused minds seek pasture-raised poultry meat and eggs, yet many flocksters find this too costly. You can still provide your hens with essential nutrition so they produce omega 3 rich eggs by providing high quality supplement feed.
If your region doesn’t produce fresh pasture year-round, supplement its ration with alfalfa hay and ryegrass for year-round pasture supply. Also consider including seaweed chicken feed ingredients with high omega-3 content to increase omega-3 consumption among your poultry flock.
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Boosts Immune System
Omega 3 fatty acids in chicken feed have been demonstrated to boost production of antibodies and globulins that provide passive immunity for their chicks, and reduce n-6:n-3 ratio PUFA ratio in diets of broiler chickens by improving growth, immune status, bone development, intestinal health, as well as control inflammatory responses in their chicks by shifting towards more PGE2 (n-3 derived eicosanoids) production with consequent decreases in IL-6 production. For example, when fed 5% linseed oil diet, higher serum IgG concentration was seen, leading to better control inflammatory responses due to shift in PGE2 production while decreasing IL-6 production through shift in PGE2 from production through this shift in PGE2-derived eicosanoids from N-3 rich diet, while simultaneously decrease in IL-6 production due to increase of PGE2-derived eicosanoids produced through shifting of PGE2-derived Eicosanoids created through shifting N-3 Fatty acid-derived Eicosanoids such as PGE2 were present, leading to better control inflammatory responses by chicks fed diet 5% linseed oil-enriched egg yolk IgY concentration which resulted in control due to an increase in N-3 Fatty acid-derived Eicosanoids( PGE2) with decrease IL-6 production by decrease due shift.
Reduces Inflammation
Health-conscious consumers have become more focused on finding ways to balance Omega-6s and Omega-3s in their diet, leading more people to seek pasture-raised eggs and poultry meat. With feed amendments and free range practices at their disposal, budding backyard flocksters can easily produce omega-3-rich meat and eggs for relatively cheap.
Feeding hens n-3 PUFA enhances their egg fat by decreasing saturated FA and increasing EPA and DHA-derived eicosanoids, as well as decreasing proinflammatory eicosanoids while simultaneously improving GSH-Px activity and antioxidative defenses for greater egg quality.
To maximize omega-3s, it is best to feed laying hens a green forage blend containing alfalfa and clover. Flocksters in the southern United States may extend the birds’ grazing season by growing winter-hardy cover crops such as ryegrass or mustard greens; avoid providing your flock with additional soybean meal, which contains high levels of omega-6 while lacking essential fatty acids; according to an APPPA study, switching over to no-soy ration was successful at decreasing omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in meat and eggs significantly
Reduces Risk of Cancer
Studies indicate that omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) possess multiple anti-tumor mechanisms. They can be obtained through flax seeds and cold-water fish such as mackerel, salmon, cod and herring.
Research indicates that Americans consume far too many omega-6 fatty acids compared to omega-3 fats, leading to potential cardiovascular and mental health issues. This imbalance could have many ramifications.
To achieve balance, a healthy diet should incorporate foods high in nutrient dense chicken meat and eggs, such as those produced through Devenish Nutrition’s joint clinical trial with Moy Park. Their research indicates that chickens fed gossypol-enriched cottonseed meal produced poultry meat with higher omega-3 fatty acid content that may reduce heart disease risk factors like stroke and dementia as well as certain cancer types; taste panel tests suggested the enriched poultry products tasted just as delicious as conventional ones!
Helps Hens Lay Better Eggs
Comparable to conventionally raised chicken eggs, those produced by pastured hens contain higher levels of omega-3s and vitamins A and E; additionally they tend to contain lower cholesterol and saturated fat levels.
Backyard flocksters can increase the omega-3 intake of their birds by offering them a diet rich in grasses and legumes like alfalfa hay or ryegrass, for instance. If pasture isn’t always available year-round, an alternative source could include growing winter-hardy mustard greens or radish greens in their poultry pen to provide additional sources of omega-3s.
Linseed oil and fish meal have long been used as supplements to the diet of laying hens to increase egg production by adding omega-3 fatty acids into their eggs, but too much omega-3 consumption may actually harm these birds and have adverse impacts on egg production. A team led by researchers at Penn State discovered that using heterotrophically grown, unextracted DHA-rich protist ingredients can safely increase levels of omega-3s without negatively affecting health or production.
