With this complete management plan, every step in Omega egg production is outlined. Following this program, the feed to produce Omega eggs will cost producers only 2 cents to 3 cents a dozen more than regular eggs, she said. Scheideler originally began experimenting with a flax seed diet knowing that the most common source of omega-3 is fish oil. Fish oils are scarce in these parts, but fields of flax cover the North Dakota plains. And the seed makes great chicken feed, Scheideler found.
Flax seed is good for hens because it helps vary their diet.
A 1995 dietary study conducted by NU Nutrition Scientist Nancy Lewis determined that people with high cholesterol levels who ate two Omega eggs a day, six days a week, decreased their serum triglyceride levels by 14 percent. High triglyceride levels are one risk factor for cardiovascular disease. NU temporarily licensed the egg-producing technology to a producer who marketed the eggs in Lincoln the past year. The university now is working on a license with another producer. David Brinkerhoff, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, said the three discussion papers ready for review are part of a set of six items that reflect Chancellor James Moeser's vision and strategic agenda for the university.