Announcement April Fools 2016 - New Development: Chicken Feed That Changes Egg Shell Color!

[gimmie]

I can't find the name of the feed, what's it called. I would love to try the feed

 

[6 littleHens]

Oh my, I'm so excited! We'll put the Easter egg dyeing kits out of business! I wonder how this affects the longhorn chick hatched from a blue egg? Will it also be blue? Will it automatically grow up and be blue egg layer? 'd like to see the inside of one of these eggs. What color are the structures inside of one of these leghorn eggs? The white chorion thing, lol. The air sac, etc....

 

[Birdbrain Farm]

The beetle Starbucks used was a cochineal beetle for red coloring. Couldn't you try feeding the beetles to your chickens?

 

[Birdbrain Farm]

It's a name that feed contest.

 

[Spangled]

And I bet if there is a yellow or gold egg it's from adding tumeric to the feed so yes all natural!! gold more tumeric yellow less

My chickens have been eating turmeric (mixed into their feed) since 2009 with no change in the egg shell color. If I feed them larger amounts, it wouldn't be cost effective. So, while it could be the herring, or maybe salmon, where the plankton they eat is actually that dark melon color, they're not going to be able to use turmeric. A more scientific method of getting yellow/gold eggs will have to be employed so that prices of the feed will be low enough for people to buy it.

Also, a real feed additive, marigolds, does make the yolk darker orangey/yellow, but doesn't change the shell color. I can't wait for tomorrow to find out from the feed company how they're going to do it. I bet it's patented, though, or a secret, like KFC, where the feed company doesn't legally don't have to tell the recipe. Plus, if the ingredient is added in a low enough amount, it doesn't have to be listed ... like Senomyx (or at least it used to be like that).

Oh, but farmed salmon does get its color from something added to the feed. That colorizing feed additive for salmon must be cheap-ish or farmed salmon would be priced out of the market.

But attimus with his/her red herring idea. That's genius.

 

[6 littleHens]

Chicolor feed!

 

[Mylani]

"Egg Hues" or "Egghues"

 

[IvanTsary]

Psycho-shellic Eggs Color Changing Layer Ration.

With a Mystery Machine type VW van on it driven by a chicken with dreadlocks flashing a peace sign.

 

[attimus]

hey if the can do it with birds, fish and orchids why not eggs right

 

[chicknmania]

This does not sound very natural to me. I'd be hesitant to feed my chickens something like that. We like the various egg shell colors, the more the merrier, but I would prefer to have them be naturally produced by the hen herself, not by some additive. Just my opinion.