# cooking linseed



## daisybe33 (19 September 2011)

Does anyone have any tips on the best way to prepare linseed for 5 plus horses?

Hints and tips greatly appreciated to make it as easy as possible.

Thanks


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## Mike007 (19 September 2011)

Linseed can be fed uncooked but needs to be put in a blender to break open the otherwise indigestable seeds.


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## onemoretime (19 September 2011)

I thought linseed had to be cooked because it contains lysine (sp) which is poison.  I buy micronised ground linseed from Charnwood Mills its much easier to use just put a mug in each feed bowl.  Please be careful with it.


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## daisybe33 (19 September 2011)

how much do you pay for a bag of micronised Linseed?

I am contemplating using a slow cooker (soaking it overnight then turning on slow cooker on low for the day)


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## Mike007 (19 September 2011)

onemoretime said:



			I thought linseed had to be cooked because it contains lysine (sp) which is poison.  I buy micronised ground linseed from Charnwood Mills its much easier to use just put a mug in each feed bowl.  Please be careful with it.
		
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No it can be fed uncooked , (lysine incidentaly is an amino acid and very usefull to the horse  certainly not poisonous).


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## 4x4 (20 September 2011)

Where can you find uncooked linseed?


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## bounce (20 September 2011)

Linseed is poisonous to horses if fed uncooked - it contains cyanide.  http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/horsecare/1370/38743.html 

I used to make a linseed jelly by boiling it for several hours but it is much easier to buy the micronised linseed and it lasts much longer.

Mine used to love the jelly though, even though it looked like frog spawn to me.


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## Theresa_F (20 September 2011)

I get my linseed from Charnwood.  Just bought 2 x 20 k sacks and with postage it came to £55.59 (plus the esssential two bags of dried apple ring that they adore which is for their Christmas pressie).  That will do my two for six months.

If you do want to use raw linseed, it must be cooked and often people use an old slow cooker overnight rather than boil on the hob.

I have found the micronised version excellent as it is simple to add to the feed and no messing around cooking up.

Years ago my mum used to cook it overnight with barley for her aging arab to keep the weight on in winter but I prefer to be more modern and use the micronised stuff.


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## Tammytoo (20 September 2011)

Another Charnwood Milling fan here!  I get micronised linseed from them as well as Brewers Yeast mail order) and the big sacks last for months.  Uncooked linseed is most definitely poisenous.

Charnwood have a website and are very helpful if you give them a ring.


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## daisybe33 (20 September 2011)

Great

Micronised it is then!

I'll have a look at the Charnwood website I'm sure my lot would appreciate some dried apples in their stockings too!


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## Theresa_F (21 September 2011)

They certainly will and my naughty small niece keeps eating them too if I turn my back.

They are great as they keep for ages and you can stick a few in the feed or give as treats.

My two love them, hence I get them some for Christmas as they are rather spoilt.


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## sunleychops (27 September 2011)

Linseed in its natural form contains Linase which releases Hydrogen Cyanide when subject to moist conditions, Micronizing it destroys this.

Stolen from Charnwood website, I won't pretend im a genius


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## Zuzan (27 September 2011)

chrisritch said:



			Linseed in its natural form contains Linase which releases Hydrogen Cyanide when subject to moist conditions, Micronizing it destroys this.

Stolen from Charnwood website, I won't pretend im a genius 

Click to expand...

I should be dead then... funnily I am not..  I use raw ground linseed on my porridge...  

cooking linseed release Hydrogen Cyanide gas.. 

The stomach acids will deactiveate the enzymes that interact with the cyanogenic glycosides  this is true of humans and horses (unlike ruminants) with highly acidic stomachs.


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## Tnavas (28 September 2011)

As ^^^^^

Once upon a time it was believed necessary to boil Linseed to death to make it safe. You only need to cook it if you are planning to feed more than 1 cupful daily. If you plan to use it to fatten a horse then you will be feeding it in far larger quantities and will definately need to boil it. Bring to boil in plenty of water, turn down and simmer for 20 mins - water needs to be rolling all the time. This allows the two chemicals in the Linseed to mix, produce Cyanide gass and be released in the steam. 

If you feed no more than one cupful daily then you can feed it raw, I use a small coffee grinder to do mine - I grind it shortly before I use it is at its best nutrition wise if fresh. Buying it micronised is an expensive way to feed it. Yet again manufacturers have pounced on another way to suck in the consumer.

I've been feeding it to mine raw for around 10 years and all are well and bouncing with health - my Clydesdale has the most amazing dapples and shine.


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## Rose Folly (28 September 2011)

I'd agree with Evelyn on this one. If you're feeding linseed in any appreciable quantity it should be cooked. One of the several reasons for cooking it is that it forms, as others have said, this wonderful jellyish texture which horses, particularly poorly horses or picky eaters, will love.

If you have an Aga or similar, it is miles cheaper to buy linseed in bulk - 20kg sacks - and then just simmer what you need for your horses in any big old container in the bottom oven overnight. Your horses then have the added benefit of a warm breakfast! It's about 3 times as cheap as the ionised linseed.

Linseed is the only 'supplement' we ever feed our horses. It is a real booster, especially to coats, manes, tails, hooves and joints.


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## Rose Folly (28 September 2011)

Sorry, micronised, not ionised!  It's very late!


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## Miss L Toe (28 September 2011)

My boy would not eat the gloop, after all that faff with  my pressure cooker, plus Charnwood Milling is quite cheap, I give him 100 gms daily, but I could make up a mash with boiling water and so on, I expect it would go to a jelly, never tried it tbh
When I went hunting I used to leave the pressure cooker in a hay box so it was still warm and fully cooked we got back.
I am very pleased with the results, the winter coat is coming in strong and glossy, and the skin and hooves are great [also on 10gm seaweed and other stuff] also glad to know it is good for joints for long term benefits.
will try it on muesli for myself!


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## TGM (28 September 2011)

Rose Folly said:



			it is miles cheaper to buy linseed in bulk - 20kg sacks
		
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Where are you getting your linseed from and how much do you pay for 20kg?


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## Tnavas (28 September 2011)

For Raw whole Linseed I pay about £1.00 per kilo - my coffee grinder cost me £10 about 2 years ago so has definately payed for itself. It takes me 2 mins to grind 3 cups of Linseed each day for my three horses. 

Saved me a fortune over the years.


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## Rouletterose (28 September 2011)

Rose Folly said:



			I'd agree with Evelyn on this one. If you're feeding linseed in any appreciable quantity it should be cooked. One of the several reasons for cooking it is that it forms, as others have said, this wonderful jellyish texture which horses, particularly poorly horses or picky eaters, will love.

If you have an Aga or similar, it is miles cheaper to buy linseed in bulk - 20kg sacks - and then just simmer what you need for your horses in any big old container in the bottom oven overnight. Your horses then have the added benefit of a warm breakfast! It's about 3 times as cheap as the ionised linseed.

Linseed is the only 'supplement' we ever feed our horses. It is a real booster, especially to coats, manes, tails, hooves and joints.
		
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This^^^^^^^^^ have always done it this way, and I buy mine from Mole Valley Farmers a sackfull at a time and it's quite cheap. Mine love it cooked.


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## Theresa_F (28 September 2011)

Thorogoods in Essex sell both micronised and whole linseed - 25k bags for £20.74 and £20.99 - which makes me ask why bother cooking if it is nearly the same price for raw and micronised?


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## TGM (28 September 2011)

My thoughts exactly TF - Charnwood's micronised linseed is also around £1 a kilo excluding delivery, so really can't see the point of buying whole linseed and grinding/cooking it unless you can buy it significantly cheaper than micronised.


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## sam4321 (30 September 2011)

Rose Folly said:



			I'd agree with Evelyn on this one. If you're feeding linseed in any appreciable quantity it should be cooked. One of the several reasons for cooking it is that it forms, as others have said, this wonderful jellyish texture which horses, particularly poorly horses or picky eaters, will love.

If you have an Aga or similar, it is miles cheaper to buy linseed in bulk - 20kg sacks - and then just simmer what you need for your horses in any big old container in the bottom oven overnight. Your horses then have the added benefit of a warm breakfast! It's about 3 times as cheap as the ionised linseed.

Linseed is the only 'supplement' we ever feed our horses. It is a real booster, especially to coats, manes, tails, hooves and joints.
		
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where do you buy it in bulk? i asked every feed/farm shop i could find near me and they all said they havent sold it for years or if they did, their prices were higher than the micronised stuff. 

I would love to buy it and cook  it up myself as i have a slow cooker, but i cant find it anywhere


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## sbloom (30 September 2011)

From the reading I have done there is no nutritional reason to cook linseed.  SOAKING in (cold) water releases the toxins but boiling kills them - why not not release them in the first place?  Grinding or micronising is fine for whatever quantity - though it is thought that in large volumes linseed can be a stomach irrritant (if I remember correctly).  If your horse likes the jelly texture of cooked linseed then go for it, but otherwise grind fresh every day and feed away!


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## Rose Folly (11 November 2011)

Re earlier posts, Wyatts of Stowey (Somerset) sell it for £18 per 25kg sack. Just bought some!


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## Maesfen (11 November 2011)

sam4321 said:



			where do you buy it in bulk? i asked every feed/farm shop i could find near me and they all said they havent sold it for years or if they did, their prices were higher than the micronised stuff. 

I would love to buy it and cook  it up myself as i have a slow cooker, but i cant find it anywhere 

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Some pet shops or health shops will have it although it wouldn't be in bulk.
My feed merchant can get it but it is more expensive than the micro'd stuff as yours have told you.


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## Rose Folly (11 November 2011)

Just done my sums. £18 per 25kg sack is .72p per kilo. Not too bad!


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