In an attempt to raise healthy animals and produce a beef product with a healthier nutritional profile, we began feeding ground flax seed to the cattle that we direct market. Our feed nutritionist, Ki Fanning, of Great Plains Livestock Consulting introduced us to the feeding practice after reading a study done by Kansas State University.
Field of Flax in Bloom
An article in YourCattle.com discusses the K-State study and the exciting implications of flax feeding for the cattle business. Not only does feeding flax improve the level of Omega-3′s in the beef it also improves herd health.
“”That’s what sparked our interest,”( K-State’s) Drouillard said. “And, we found that the inflammation that normally occurs with BRD (bovine respiratory disease) was partially suppressed when we fed flaxseed.”
As a certified All-Natural, Never-Ever-Three (no hormones, no antibiotics, no feed additives) farm, this is especially significant to us because it reduces the need for antibiotic use.
More recently, studies conducted by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists have added another layer of benefits to feeding flax. As reported by Debbie Furber in AGCanada.com the naturally occurring digestive process of bovine convert flax into rumenic and vaccenic acid, the most common forms of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid).
The level of rumenic acid was three to four times higher and the level of vaccenic acid was seven to nine times higher in the beef from the flax-fed heifers compared to beef from the control group that received a conventional feedlot ration.
Rumenic acid is known for its anticancer properties while early indications are that vaccenic acid “may reduce triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol in the bloodstream.”
Our business model of providing a healthy beef product from healthy cattle is reinforced by these studies. We believe flax-fed beef has a special place in today’s health conscious diets. Could flax fed beef play a role in your diet?
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