Linseed Meal – Linseed Cake – for Livestock

Traditional Superfood for livestock

Linseed “Meal” is what is left over from pressing linseed oil, in the past it was sometimes called linseed cake. It is high in protein, minerals and fibre, it also has some oil in it.  It was always considered a good feedstuff for putting condition onto livestock in a healthy way.

Fresh Linseed Meal Available

Flax Farm freshly made human-grade linseed meal/flakes from best quality, UK-grown, linseed available in 1 MT bags, 500kg, 20kg. Shipping can be arranged.

Organic or fine-milled cake available to order.

Phone 01403 268844

Animal feed with a long track record

Since the nineteenth century industrial pressing of linseed oil used the “old process” in which the seeds were crushed and pressed with an expeller, aiming to extract the maximum amount of oil and so long at the seeds contained good levels of oil they were worth pressing.  Later solvent extraction, “new process”, became popular. Rather unappetisingly that process uses a petrol-type solvent called naphtha which extracted more of the oil.  Flax Farm comes from cold-pressing only the very best linseed (flaxseed) so the resulting cake is of human food quality and has a higher omega-3 oil content which makes it of greater value for most animals, especially horses.

High-value feed for dairy cattle, beef, pigs, sheep and equines

Linseed meal, especially the type from human-grade cold-pressed linseed (flaxseed) oil production as produced by Flax Farm, which is higher in calories, starch-free, contains approximately 10% fats, particularly high in omega-3 is a high-quality feed.  The omega-3 goes into the meat and milk from animals fed linseed, which in turn makes them healthier to eat as well as keeping the livestock healthy.

Protein

At between 31 and 34% protein Linseed meal is a good source of protein which is essential for development. It is important the linseed meal is the real deal, purely the meal from the wholes after pressing for oil.  Some producers combine meal with other waste which lowers the protein level.  Linseed meal needs to be fed with lysine-rich feeds to make it a more efficient protein.

Linseed oil, a great source of Omega-3

Essential fatty acids are often overlooked but in reality they are every bit as important as protein, especially for older animals such as horses, donkeys and breeding animals.

The high level of the good fat omega-3 in linseed oil is what gives horses, cattle and dogs a lovely glossy coat and an aid to all-over health.  Other animal feeds such as cereals and other oilseeds contain omega-6, it is important for health that there’s enough omega-3 in the diet to balance all this omega-6 which is the science Linseed meal’s which is the linseed’s reputation for health.

Horses, ponies and donkeys don’t need or tolerate fat very well so only need a small amount but particularly if fed other cereals the addition of omega-3 is beneficial, especially for older animals, working horses, youngsters and those in poor condition.  Omega-3 from linseed helps build lean muscle which is useful for animals from to obesity. As the oil forms a relatively low percentage of linseed meal it is well tolerated by equines as part of their diet.

Fibre

Linseed meal is about 30% total fibre and 10% soluble fibre which makes it a good source of fibre for feeding and one of the richest sources of soluble fibre, which tuns into the slimy, gloopiness that forms when linseed comes into contact with water, it’s often called mucilage. Soluble fibre is an aid to swallowing, soothing to the gut, promotes healthy gut flora. Insoluble fibre is digested by ruminants, for equines it provides palatable bulk, contains no starch or sugar so is helpful for horses prone to obesity or metabolic disorders such as laminitis.

Ground Linseed (Flax) v Linseed Meal

Flax Farm ground linseed is a more expensive product. It is whole seeds that have been cold-milled to a coarse flour.  It is higher in fat and energy. Useful for equines needing more calories, particularly beneficial for older animals or those in poor condition but also those with metabolic disorders.