November 27, 2003

 

Taking Some of the Question Out of Feeding Flax

Feeding flax in feedlot receiving diets has potential cattle health and carcass quality benefits, and has stirred the interest of North Dakota State University researchers, according to Greg Lardy, NDSU beef cattle specialist in the Animal and Range Sciences Department.

Yet, there are many questions that remain unanswered about maximizing the availability of nutrients in flaxseed. "One of the main questions we were faced with from feedlot operators was whether or not flax needed to be processed prior to feeding," says Lardy.

Recently, a trial at the NDSU Carrington Research Extension Center examined whether flax processing affects feedlot performance and economics. One hundred twenty-eight heifers were allotted randomly to four treatments. The groups received either linseed meal with no flaxseed, whole flax, rolled flax or ground flax added at 8 percent of dry matter as part of the feedlot diet.

The flax diets increased feed efficiency and average daily gain. Data indicates that benefits were further enhanced in the pens fed processed flax. Average daily gain in these pens was 3.34 pounds in comparison with the 3.17 pounds gained in pens receiving whole flax. However, there was no significant difference in gain between cattle fed rolled flax and those fed ground flax, suggesting that the method of processing is not a critical factor.

Meat samples were collected from the animals on this study. A sensory analysis will be conducted to determine the impacts of flax processing on meat quality and sensory characteristics. The samples will also be analyzed to determine the levels of Omega-3 fatty acids in the beef. Flax is rich in the Omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid, and researchers at NDSU have recently completed a study that suggests that feeding flax increases the amount of Omega-3’s in the meat. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to be essential in human nutrition, and have been proven to modulate several diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease. Results from that portion of the study should be available early next year.

From this data and continued research, Lardy and other NDSU research specialists intend to develop recommendations on processing and handling flaxseed to help expand options for feedlot operators and increase market outlets for North Dakota flax producers.

The future of flax looks bright for a number of reasons, according to Travis Maddock, animal science graduate assistant. "Feeding flax has several angles – increased performance, feed efficiency and carcass quality, as well as Omega-3 fatty acids," says Maddock. Processing flax appears to accentuate these benefits.

Vern Anderson, animal scientist at the CREC, is optimistic about feeding flax, but realizes the need for efficient marketing. "I would say that flax will be fed when it is economically competitive as a feed for commodity beef, or in a specialty market where the value can be captured by selling to people willing to pay a premium," says Anderson. "Also, flax screenings or off-quality seed not fit for the human market may prove competitive for feed."

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Sources: Greg Lardy, (701) 231-7660, glardy@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Travis Maddock, (701) 231-7631, travis.maddock@ndsu.nodak.edu
Vern Anderson, (701) 652-2951, vanderso@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Writer: Teresa Oe, (701) 231-8371, teresa.oe@ndsu.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu