El6-Foraging Around, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 19, 2003
I
Omega-3 Fat, Vitamin Content
Boosted In Pastured Poultry Eggs
H.D. Karsten,
P.H. Patterson,
G.W. Crews, and R.C. Stout
Crop and Soil Sciences and
Poultry Science Departments
Penn State
Our previous pasture plant
research indicated that when
compared at similar stages of
maturity, legumes on average
contained more omega-3 fat
(linolenic acid) content than
grasses. We were interested in
whether plant species omega-3
fat content differences would
affect pastured poultry hen
egg fat content, and how
omega-3 fat and vitamins A
and E content of eggs of pas
tured hens (supplemented
with commercial mash) would
compare to hens fed only
commercial mash.
Our objectives were to com
pare omega-3 fat content of
pasture species (alfalfa, red
and white clover, grass) for
aged by hens; and compare
SARE Calls For Grant Preproposals
BURLINGTON, Vt. The
Northeast Region Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Ed
ucation (SARE) program,
which funds research and ed
ucation grants and profession
al development grants, is call
ing for preproposals for the
next SARE funding cycle. A
preproposal is a brief, one
page summary of key project
themes and results, and is part
of the SARE selection process.
Only those whose preproposal
has been approved can go on
to develop a full proposal.
This year, there is a specific
interest in projects that ad
dress sustainable livestock
production, dairy economic
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egg yolk omega-3 fat, vitamin
A and E content of hens pas
tured on the three pasture spe
cies and supplemented with
commercial mash, to the egg
yolks of indoor caged hens fed
commercial mash.
Three established stands of
predominantly alfalfa, red
and white clover, or mixed
cool-season grasses (orchard
grass, smooth bromegrass,
quackgrass, tall fescue, Ken
tucky bluegrass) were foraged
by three groups of brown egg
pullets (25 hens per group,
less than 17 weeks of age) for
three two-week periods in
July and August 2002 in State
College. After each two-week
period, hen groups were rotat
ed to a different pasture spe
cies. Pastures were main
tained at early- to mid
vegetative stages of develop
ment throughout the six-week
trial. Pastured hens received
commercial mash, and calci
um, water, and pasture ad li-
viability and profitability, the
sale of foods to local institu
tions, farm labor manage
ment, and the transition to a
new farm enterprise. People
with projects in these areas
are particularly encouraged to
apply.
Preproposal materials are
available on the World Wide
Web at www.uvm.edu. Follow
the link to “grant and applica
tion information” and down
load the forms and instruc
tions. Or, if you prefer printed
materials, call or e-mail the
Northeast SARE office at
(802) 656-0471 and nesare
uvm.edu. Preproposals must
be postmarked by May 16.
bitum. Concurrently, caged
hens managed in a commer
cial facility were fed a mash
diet and water ad libitum.
Plucked samples of the three
pastures were analyzed for
fatty acid content. Egg yolks
from the hens foraging the
three pasture treatments and
the caged treatment group
were analyzed for omega-3
fatty acid, cholesterol, vitamin
A and E content.
Results & Summary
Legume plant tissues had
more omega-3 fat than grass;
red and white clover had more
omega-3 fat than alfalfa. Eggs
of hens that foraged legume
pastures had more omega-3
fat than hens that foraged on
grass pastures. Omega-3 fat,
vitamin A and E content were
higher in eggs of hens that for
aged pasture (& supplement
ed with commercial mash)
than hens fed commercial
mash only (pastured vs. caged
eggs: 2.7 fold more omega-3
fat; 2.1 fold more vitamin E;
and 41 percent greater vita
min A); cholesterol didn’t dif
fer among any treatments.
Omega-3 fat and vitamin con
tent increased with time on
pasture, but didn’t change
over time in caged birds’ eggs.
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Maryland Pasture
Walk Scheduled
A Pasture Walk is sched
uled for Wednesday, April 23,
from 10:30 a.m. until 1:30
p.m. at St. Brigid’s Farm,
Kennedyville, Maryland. Judy
Gifford and Dr. Robert Fry
will host the event.
St. Brigid’s Farm is home to
158 registered Jersey cattle on
just 55 acres. Management in
tensive grazing is the back
bone of the operation with ir
rigation assisting the grasses
and legumes to continue
growth during the dry periods,
supplying the high quality for
ages necessary to maintain the
high levels of milk production.
This will be the sixth year for
the operation, all being sea
sonally based with the winter
as the dry period.
Lunch will be available at
the farm. Althought there is
no fee for lunch, advanced
registration is required. Car/
van pools will be leaving from
Hagerstown and Frederick.
For lunch reservations and
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carpool information, contact
the Washington County Ex
tension Office at (301)
791-1304 or the Frederick
County Extension Office at
(301) 631-3576. The last van
will leave the Frederick Ex
tension Office at 8 a.m. and
return at 4 pm.
The purpose of the pasture
walk is to allow livestock pro-;
ducers a chance to leant mope
about the use of rotatiohal
grazing as a way to increase
agricultural profitability.
Time will be spent walking
through the pastures discuss
ing plant growth, fencing, wa
tering systems, irrigation, and
animal performance.
The farm is located at
12246 Locust Grove Road,
Kennedyville.
For those in the Lancaster/
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