What kind of greens can we feed ours to get the darker yolk?

[timp123]

I've "heard" that it's the grasses etc that make the free range chicken eggs that nice dark golden yolk color.. we feed ours scraps from the kitchen & hang a cabbage now & then... but due to neighbor dogs, we haven't let ours free range the back acre that we have... I would love too, but not being home, I'm fearful of losing some to dogs.

What can we feed them, that they will love..and that will help enrichen the eggs.. like we see from those that are able to let theirs roam freely?

I saw a bale of alfalfa the other day at a feeder store.. would they like that? I gave them some grass clippings the other day after cutting the yard.. they really at that up fast...

Thanks for any and all input.

 

[Farmer_Dan]

Grass clippings for sure.

Have you tried flax seed?

 

[catterbug]

I always thought it was the bugs they ate that helped with the gold color.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Grass clippings are great but keep them short to avoid impacted crop as the balled up grass may not move through. That is one of the things I feed.

 

[timp123]

Quote:
I did too... but I've been reading more & more posts, where people say it's the greens... I'm not saying I'm right.. I just was swayed to finally believing it's the greens

 

[Chris09]

If you want to darken your egg yolks you will need to up there Carotenoids intake.

- Carotenoids carry yellow, orange and brown pigments.
- They are apparent in carrots, bananas and egg yolk.
- This pigment is often found in chloroplast and aids in the process of photosynthesis.
- The best known carotenoids are identified by their colors:
-----Orange for beta-carotene; yellow for lutein and zeaxanthin; red for lycopene; pink for astaxanthin.

Food that are rich in beta-carotene are:
Peppers, hot chili, red, canned, excluding seeds, solids and liquids
Lettuce, cos or romaine, raw
Lettuce, green leaf, raw
Kale, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained
Mustard greens, cooked, boiled, drained
Pumpkin
Carrots
Corn
Alfalfa
Dandelions

Chris

 

[timp123]

Quote:
Very cool Chris, thanks!!