Boss and Flax Seed

[zeesmom]

For those of you that supplement with Boss and/or flax seed...how do you determine the amount?

I would like to add flax seed and Boss to my older gelding's diet and I just don't know where to start. Also for some reason feeding seeds with the shell doesn't sit right with me. They don't cause any problems?

Thanks-

[oneidea]

We add 1/4 - 1/2 cup of flax seed per day to their grain. We grind it in a coffee grinder and sprinkle it over their grain. I've been told that feeding the flaxseed ground is recommended because it is more digestible that way.

[tblover]

I feed BOSS 1 cup per day. I have been feeding for about a year with no problems. I have 2 mares that can't have grain and they eat them plain along with their joint supps. But of course I am blessed with hogs for horses!!

I started off with a 1/2 cup just to make sure they didn't throw them out.

I have noticed the 2 yr old has a few whole seeds in her poop so it looks like it may be time to have her teeth looked at.

My horses get minimal grooming. They are pasture ornaments and so they get brushed about 5-6 times a year. Before I started feeding the BOSS the girls would get the ringlets and tangles in their mane and tails. Not now. They are shiny and very dappled from the fat in the seeds.

[msclarkee]

We started giving our horses ground flax a few years ago. It helps prevent rain rot, gives them a beautiful coat - and its a great supplement for joints. We give 1 cup ground flax each day (we started out with 1/4 cup and increased it slowly). Two of our horses used to be incredibly itchy all summer long, and the flax has taken care of that too.

If you grind up flax ahead of time (a weeks supply at a time), then keep it in a container in the refridgerator or freezer. Flax loses key elements if left at room temperature (you'll have to google the info - I can't quite remember it all).

I was told by my Vet, that if you feed WHOLE seeds, then you need to feed twice as much than with the ground flax. The shells are very hard, and the horses just don't grind it up suffciently themselves.

I've had nothing but success with ground flax, and the horses ALL love the taste. I buy 50lb bags of seeds at Dayville for $33.50 a bag.

[zeesmom]

Thanks everyone - that was exactly what I was looking for!

[armoon]

I've also been feeding BOSS for a while now. I have my Percheron on 3 cups/day mixed into his low NSC feed and my other horses (QH's) get a handful at each feeding - they LOVE it! However, I recently started doing a little more research and the Omega-6:Omega-3 ratio in BOSS has raised some questions for me. The Omega-6 is what you want less of and the Omega-3 is what you want more of. BOSS is higher in Omega-6 and Omega-3 is very, very low. Omega-6 is what may contribute long-term to inflammation and/or arthritis . . . now, keep in mind, this is just what my little ol' pea-brain has garnered from all the overwhelming information on the web about different studies, etc.

Anyway, the conclusion I've come to is that at least for my Percheron, I'm going to switch to either vegetable or corn oil or possibly the flax instead of the BOSS. My QH's will all keep getting their handfuls because they LOVE it and I do think it helps their coat. My Percheron is a whole different animal, so to speak, when it comes to feeding, and he needs 20-25% of his diet daily to be in fat.

Which brings me to my question for you, MSCLARKEE . . . when you grind the flaxseed, do you grind it into a powder or just granule consistency? I've been looking for more information on how to feed it when you are doing your own grinding, but all I can find is "ground flax." There's nothing that tells you if it makes a difference on how "ground" it needs to be.

Aye-yi-yi . . . this feeding thing is a bit overwhelming at times, huh?

[oneidea]

Not Msclarkee, but IME, flaxseed grinds to a fine consistency (think somewhere between finely ground coffee and whole wheat flour) with just one or two pulses of the grinder... I don't know how you could achieve a granule consistency as it mills so quickly.

[msclarkee]

I grind the seeds until I don't have seeds left. It ends up looking like wheat flour when I'm done. So far, the "Mr Coffee" grinders work best for me - but it still takes more than one or two pulses.... I'm always on the look out for a better grinder, so if someone knows of one, please pass along the info on it

[oneidea]

I don't know what brand our coffee grinder is... it's a stainless model that we got at Target. I think the secret is not putting too much flaxseed in at a time... otherwise it tends to stick and bog down. HTH.

[leahlady]

How much fat is in flax seed compared to corn oil? Lady can't seem to get a fat cover completely over her broodmare-sprung rubs...despite alfalfa pellets w/ 1 cup of corn oil every day. (It is the only thing she will eat...for now....no she won't eat rice bran, or beet pulp, or senior feed, or any grain..)

I'm thinking she *may* eat flax seed... ??

At least she is eating now.....at least on the off days that she is not in heat...........

[oneidea]

Leah, here is the nutritional info for flax seed.

Protein 24 %
Moisture 4 %
Crude Fiber 8 %
Total Carbohydrate 32.5 %
Ash 3.4 %
Total Fat 38 %
Saturated 3 %
Mono unsaturated 6 %
Polyunsaturated 29 %
Linoleic Acid 7 %
Linolenic Acid 22 %

How does that compare to corn oil?

Cinder eats flax seed if we mix it in with the rest of her grain. Of course, she dumps it on the floor and picks through it first, but....

;-)

[Whitewolf821]

As far as grinders go....I don't grind flax seed, but I do grind a lot of other things. I have one of those Magic Bullets. Love it!

[armoon]

Leahlady, corn oil is 100% fat. It's just very messy! Cool Calories is also 100% fat and there are other dry fat products on the market as well.

Here's a link to Rural Heritage . . . Dr. Beth Valentine's specialty is draft horses and an EPSM diet, but there's TONS of good information on here about fat content of feeds, things to consider, etc. Check it out!

www.ruralheritage.com/vet_clinic/index.htm

Just go to the "EPSM" part of this page and look at some of the dietary requirements, recommendations, etc.

Here's another pretty helpful discussion group you don't have to be a member of to read. Some of these people own drafts, but there are a lot that own TB's or crosses and have lots of feeding issues with them!!

www.percheronnetwork.com/chat/

The section that deals with feeding is titled "Vet and Farrier Forum."

I hope this helps!!

[leahlady]

Hmm well maybe I will try flaxseed + corn oil! The corn oil is just getting expensive...