Where do you get ground flaxseed in bulk?

[4LeafCloverFarm]

So, I’m running low on my Omega Horseshine and a poster in another thread of mine suggested I just by ground flaxseed, as it would be cheaper - so I set off in search of ground flaxseed.

The Omega Horseshine is $50 for a 20 pound bag (and I pay no sales tax on horse feed, as I am exempt). The 8LB tub of “Simply Flax” they have at TSC is $30 - so that is not cheaper. I see that TripleCrown has a 25LB bag of Golden Flax for about $30, so that would be cheaper - only nowhere near here carries it. The grocery store has generic ground flax, but it is about $2.00 for 1 pound and when you add our lovely 9.75% sales tax… well that isn’t cheaper!

So where do you get your ground flax, in bulk? And what do you pay for it (including shipping, if you get it online)?

And what is the difference in brown flaxseed and golden flaxseed?

[PracticalCat]

Isn’t there a problem with ground flaxseed in bulk going rancid and bad in some way?
i know I had an electric coffee grinder and would grind mine fresh every day for a horse I fed it to.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

The products specifically for horses are “stabilized”. Not sure what that process entails - but they stay fresh just fine (or so I’m told). Now grocery versions, I don’t know about that.

[firefoot]

I have been getting ground flax from the local feed store for years and it works great. The horses look great, it never smells off, and it is $35 for 50lbs. I believe they mill their own.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

Well, silly me. I forgot to call our Co-Op. Will hit them up tomorrow.

[Simkie]

Yeah, from the feed store.

What’s sold in 50# bags usually isn’t stabilized, though. Triple Crown makes a nice stabilized product.

Or you can do the whole seed in 50# bags and either feed it whole or grind it yourself.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

I can’t imagine grinding it myself - maybe with just one horse. But I have three. Not sure how much my little coffee bean grinder can do at a time - but I can’t imagine it is much. I do have a mini cuisinart too, but not sure the standard blade would make a really nice powder.

I have found the whole seeds in bulk, but there are brown and golden. Is there a difference?

[Simkie]

Grinding it really isn’t that big of a deal, but it’s certainly not necessary. Takes a few seconds per horse.

No, no difference between the colors. The whole seed at the feed store has always been brown for me.

[Ghazzu]

local co-op.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

@Simkie

Grinding it really isn’t that big of a deal, but it’s certainly not necessary. Takes a few seconds per horse.

So feeding whole seeds - they get all the nutrients out of them just as if they were ground? And you don’t end up with flax plants all over the place?

[Simkie]

@4LeafCloverFarm

So feeding whole seeds - they get all the nutrients out of them just as if they were ground? And you don’t end up with flax plants all over the place?

I’m unaware of any studies, but the outcome is the same IME. I’ve had a rare flax plant pop up feeding whole seed, but they’re hardly all over the place.

[Texarkana]

When I lived in TN, most of the Co-Ops stocked it. Ground flax was much easier to source than whole flax at those Co-Ops near my home.

[outerbanks77]

@4LeafCloverFarm

I can’t imagine grinding it myself - maybe with just one horse. But I have three. Not sure how much my little coffee bean grinder can do at a time - but I can’t imagine it is much. I do have a mini cuisinart too, but not sure the standard blade would make a really nice powder.

I have found the whole seeds in bulk, but there are brown and golden. Is there a difference?

I have a beast of a food processor and it sucked for grinding flax. I do larger batches in my Blendtec blender and then store it in the freezer (for human consumption). Easy, but you need the right machine.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

@outerbanks77 - good to know. So they must be tough little seeds. I looked up those Blendtec blenders… they ain’t cheap! lol I was thinking maybe I’d put one on my Christmas wish list, but Santa would have to rob a bank! :lol:

[Mouse_amp_Bay]

I buy whole in bulk from our local mill. Not expensive and the horses still glow. I think the debate of can they still digest it is getting resolved - yes, even if not all still more than what you can save by stabilizing.

An an easy way to grin large quantities is a high power blender (Vitamix, ninja or the like).

I am a minimalist, stabilized to me equals additives. I would much rather feed the real deal without the chemical experiment. Plus the goopy consistency of flax when wet, along with the extra fiber, must be really good for guts.

[enjoytheride]

Tractor Supply has a generic version of the Omega Horseshine in their Dumor brand that works the same and is much cheaper. The ingredients are identical.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/pr…ra-shine-20-lb

[Scribbler]

I feed whole flax. I used to grind in a coffee grinder which worked fine. Then I got bored with that and went for just one cup whole flax. Horse still looks great, not a lot of flax plants popping up.

I can get it at most of our local feed stores. $35 for a ,50 lb bag that last forever ( well I guess 150 days at one cup or 1/3 lb a day).

[outerbanks77]

@4LeafCloverFarm

@outerbanks77 - good to know. So they must be tough little seeds. I looked up those Blendtec blenders… they ain’t cheap! lol I was thinking maybe I’d put one on my Christmas wish list, but Santa would have to rob a bank! :lol:

Yeah, you’re not getting your $$ back on that just grinding flax. I love to cook and have ALL THE KITCHEN THINGS. A Ninja blender might do the job too, or maybe even a Bullet, but I’ve never used either one.

[DinkyDonk]

Feed mill…I buy it whole, $19.60 for a 50 lb. bag. I have religiously ground it daily with a coffee grinder for years, but am now just mixing it whole into soaked feed. The grinders I have been using are $15 Mr. Coffee’s which each lasted approximately 3 years before quitting.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

@enjoytheride

Tractor Supply has a generic version of the Omega Horseshine in their Dumor brand that works the same and is much cheaper. The ingredients are identical.

I do buy the DuMor Horseshine when they are out of the Omega Horseshine. But quality had been an issue with the DuMor Horseshine - had to take two bags back due to huge clumps and a musty smell (like it got wet). Thankfully, both times they took the bag back and refunded or allowed exchange.