⠀ I've been hearing a lot about omega-3 eggs. Can you tell me more about them?

[Purina]

FAQ: I’ve been hearing a lot about omega-3 eggs. Can you tell me more about them?

A: This is a great question! Omega-3 fatty acids have become a popular topic lately because more research is showing that they are an important part of your diet. Many institutions, including Harvard School of Public Health, have listed benefits of consuming enough of this essential nutrients.1

Human nutritionists often look at two types of beneficial fatty acids: omega-3’s and omega-6’s. Each of these nutrients is essential to the diet. The most important part of the story though is balance. For these nutrients to work their best, they should be consumed in equal levels.

Unfortunately, the typical American diet contains more omega-6 than omega-3. To even out the balance, the necessary omega-3’s can come from your diet.

Traditional sources of omega-3’s include fish, nuts and green, leafy vegetables. Today, we are able to add farm fresh eggs to the list of foods that are high in omega-3’s.

For hens to produce eggs with added omega-3’s, it all comes back to nutrition. This is because hens are excellent feed converters, channeling nutrients from their feed into their eggs. Commercially-fed hens typically produce a 56-gram egg with about 50 milligrams of omega-3.

We recently looked for ways to increase omega-3 from that 50-milligram mark. On our farm, we conducted several studies and tried many feed combinations, and we found specific nutrients that hens easily transfer directly into their eggs. By adding some next level nutrients into Purina

Layena

crumbles and pellets and then creating Purina Layena Plus Omega-3, hens were able to produce omega-3 enriched eggs with 250 milligrams of omega-3.3

The benefit of omega 3 chicken feed primarily impacts egg production. Purina

Layena

Plus Omega-3 starts with the same essential nutrients for hens as our other complete layer feeds. The difference is that it also includes additional nutrients to help helps lay more nutritious eggs.

Here’s a video that tells more about omega-3 eggs:

Have you fed for omega-3 eggs? Have questions about feeding a layer feed that includes omega-3? Share your experiences and questions below!



[1] “Omega-3 fatty acids: An essential contribution.” Harvard School of Public Health. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/omega-3-fats/. 9 December 2016.
[2] “About the U.S. Egg Industry.” American Egg Board. http://www.aeb.org/farmers-and-marketers/industry-overview. 9 December 2016.
[3] When fed a diet of Layena

Plus Omega-3 exclusively for at least 3 weeks. Based on large egg (50g). Results may vary with factors such as total diet and hen health. Compared to a typical egg that contains 65mg omega-3 fatty acids.

 

[Ital]

Maintaining a 1:1 ratio of omega 3 and 6 in humans is essential for modulating cb1 and cb2 receptors (responsible for maintaining homeostasis).
Some people can absorb omega 3 in an ala form but others require it to be dha, chickens convert ala to dha.
You can increase levels of omega 3 in eggs by supplementing their diet with chia seeds, flax seeds and purslane.

 

[RememberTheWay]

FAQ: I’ve been hearing a lot about omega-3 eggs. Can you tell me more about them?

A: This is a great question! Omega-3 fatty acids have become a popular topic lately because more research is showing that they are an important part of your diet. Many institutions, including Harvard School of Public Health, have listed benefits of consuming enough of this essential nutrients.1

Human nutritionists often look at two types of beneficial fatty acids: omega-3’s and omega-6’s. Each of these nutrients is essential to the diet. The most important part of the story though is balance. For these nutrients to work their best, they should be consumed in equal levels.

Unfortunately, the typical American diet contains more omega-6 than omega-3. To even out the balance, the necessary omega-3’s can come from your diet.

Traditional sources of omega-3’s include fish, nuts and green, leafy vegetables. Today, we are able to add farm fresh eggs to the list of foods that are high in omega-3’s.

For hens to produce eggs with added omega-3’s, it all comes back to nutrition. This is because hens are excellent feed converters, channeling nutrients from their feed into their eggs. Commercially-fed hens typically produce a 56-gram egg with about 50 milligrams of omega-3.

We recently looked for ways to increase omega-3 from that 50-milligram mark. On our farm, we conducted several studies and tried many feed combinations, and we found specific nutrients that hens easily transfer directly into their eggs. By adding some next level nutrients into Purina

Layena

crumbles and pellets and then creating Purina Layena Plus Omega-3, hens were able to produce omega-3 enriched eggs with 250 milligrams of omega-3.3

The benefit of omega 3 chicken feed primarily impacts egg production. Purina

Layena

Plus Omega-3 starts with the same essential nutrients for hens as our other complete layer feeds. The difference is that it also includes additional nutrients to help helps lay more nutritious eggs.

Here’s a video that tells more about omega-3 eggs:

Have you fed for omega-3 eggs? Have questions about feeding a layer feed that includes omega-3? Share your experiences and questions below!



[1] “Omega-3 fatty acids: An essential contribution.” Harvard School of Public Health. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/omega-3-fats/. 9 December 2016.
[2] “About the U.S. Egg Industry.” American Egg Board. http://www.aeb.org/farmers-and-marketers/industry-overview. 9 December 2016.
[3] When fed a diet of Layena

Plus Omega-3 exclusively for at least 3 weeks. Based on large egg (50g). Results may vary with factors such as total diet and hen health. Compared to a typical egg that contains 65mg omega-3 fatty acids.

Anyone want to talk about why this product is priced as a premium product, has added colorants to it which makes the consumer believe the eggs they are producing are more nutrient dense when in reality they are artificially dyed, and this particular feed does not have the needed lysine or methionine levels for "maintaining healthy hens" ?

I'm sure this will get deleted but I would've to have a healthy conversation. If Purina wants to improve public relations starting an actual conversation about their nutritional quality would be a start- but improving their formulas would definitely make way headway. Just saying.....

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I don't feed @Purina myself, though I've used their products in the past. The Met and Lys levels in their Layena plus Omega 3 product meet the 1994 NRC minimums for adult layers.

One can reasonably argue that those minimum figures are outdated, and not reflective of the needs of the typical BYCer whose flock almost certainly is not comprised of prime commercial layers intended for a singular laying cycle before being "repurposed" - or that the purchasing public is simply ignorant of their bird's needs, and buying the wrong formulation for their flock's intended purpose (both? yes, likely both).

But I don't think it necessarily fair to hold their product to standards for a purpose (i.e. dual purpose flocks or birds pre point-of-lay) it doesn't pretend to be suited for.