do dark yellow or orange yolks mean they are healthier.

[Cindy in PA]

You should see the yolks on some of our specialized diets with paprika in them!! They are a 15-16 on the yolk fan.

Unfortunately, we don’t use those diets in the bagged products that you use

I have been meaning to add paprika just to see the difference. I'll have to try it sometime to freak out my family!

 

[Cindy in PA]

I recently had to buy a dozen eggs at the store & man were they runny compared to my eggs. So far That is the only eggs I have bought this year. Ran out after the holidays & my son eating some every morning during his hunting vacation.

 

[wyoDreamer]

to answer your question in regards to healthy - it doesn't sound like any of the things added to the hens diet to make darker eggs (marigold flowers, paprika) add anything "healthy" to the eggs. Your home grown eggs are fresh and healthy just as they are.
During the winter, the eggs from my girls always get a little paler in color. But the quality of the egg stays the same. Yolks stand tall in the pan and the flavor is fantastic. We actually have to "break" the whites so they spread out better in the pan and cook evenly. I cannot stand loose egg whites in my fried eggs.
I started dehydrating the tomatoes that are not good enough to can - not quite ripe at time of picking, have a bad spot, too wonky to cut up or whatever. The chickens like them and it has been helping to keep the yolks darker; BUT I feed them tomatoes to help with the food costs and vary their diet - not to keep the yolks dark. I also have a bunch of squash and pumpkins in the root cellar to feed out as treats. One really cold days, I will re-hydrate the tomatoes with warm water and they slurp them right up.

 

[Scotty from BI]

So after reading your responses and others discussing chicken nutrition, I have come to a conclusion. The best premium chicken feeds are evolved to be the most nutritious and healthy formula for laying chickens. Free range is great, but leaves the decision of what to eat up to the chickens. I think chickens are very curious eaters and will eat what ever looks interesting to them. This may or may not be completely healthy. Logically, one might argue that chickens like most other species have evolved over the millennia to seek out a diet that maximizes health and reproduction based on anatomy, and resources available.

So for example carnivores have teeth that are designed to rip and shred while herbivores are better designed for mastication (chewing) such as cows and horses etc. and of course omnivores can do both. But, chickens may not always make the best choices. I have seen them eat things that are quite detrimental to their health or they may just eat what they like such as bugs and/or grasses and vegetation of different sorts which while good for them may not be balanced either in protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins or other nutrients.

So here's the interesting thing. Most animals (to my knowledge) in nature have not evolved to have longer or healthier lives, while domesticated animals which depend on people (and people) who have diets that are scientifically formulated for longevity and good health, live longer and healthier into old age than their ancestors.

Based on this line of logic, free range chickens may not really be healthier than chickens that live in closed runs and coops and forced to eat formulated food. This assumes that in both cases, the animals are given healthy environments and access to sunshine and are able to exercise. My comparison is between healthy environment free range and healthy environment confined chickens only, not factory chickens who eat formulated feed. Also, I question that free range chickens only eat healthy bugs and veggies. I have seen them eat rotten food and food that is definitely not healthy like unhealthy or sick mice and other yucky stuff, which might have a negative effect on the egg you eat.

And as far as all the additives to make the yolks more orange or darker are not especially healthy additives. They are not unhealthy, but do not add to optimum health, they only have the goal of effecting the color of the yolk, Such as Marigolds or corn. These are fine but not significantly adding to the health of the chicken or their eggs. Chickens are smart enough to only eat the amount of calories they need so more food dye foods equal less nutritious foods. I think my chickens with their average bright yellow yolks are probably healthier than most dark colored eggs where the chickens are eating carotenoids for color instead of the most balanced nutrition offered in their store bought feed.

 

[wyoDreamer]

That is sorta how I feel.

I like my chickens healthy and Happy - but as cheaply as I can.
Organic chicken feed = $$$ & healthy
totally free range = $ but maybe not as healthy

If I can let my chickens free-range some and that makes them happy, then it is a good thing. It is a bonus that they can scrounge some of their food while they are at it. That puts my chicken keeping somewhere in between.

 

[Scotty from BI]

it also occurs to me that when people say healthier eggs, what they usually mean is more omega 3 or better omega 3 to omega 6 ratios. If eggs are your only source of omega three or antioxidants, you may want to re-examine your own diet. there are much better sources of these nutrients from things like salmon, sardines, grass fed beef, blueberries and other fruits and veggies. If I understand correctly the cholesterol in eggs is of the HDL variety which do not effect blood cholesterol levels as opposed to LDL cholesterol which is detrimental to your cardio vascular system.

 

[Kayla's Lunch]

If paprika and marigold and other things that change the yolk color aren't necessarily adding nutrition, what herbs and other things are good for them. I have heard of people adding oregano, garlic, nettle, etc for nutrition. Is there a list somewhere to get that information? Thanks.

 

[Scotty from BI]

This is not a fact since I am not trained or educated in poultry nutrition, but my understanding is that the organic formulated food in pellets or mash is complete and offers the optimum balance of nutrition needed for health and productivity. The one flaw with this theory might be that chickens are omnivores and in nature, require meat, usually in the form of insects. However, since meat supplies mostly protein and some vitamins which formulated feeds provide in the form of vitamins and non meat sources of protein, it negates the need for meat protein. Additionally, meat protein is more difficult to store and more costly to produce. I give my chickens dried grubs daily which they love simply to offer some meat product. But having said that, there are many people who do not eat meat and are very healthy, some say more healthy than humans who consume meat. your thoughts?

 

[RoosterML]

If you want them more orange, you feed more alfalfa, lobster shells, Chile powder, paprika, or some other type of greens, etc..

At what ratio would paprika or Chile powder need to be added to create a change? Or better yet what ratio not to exceed? Rough idea 1/2cup paprika to 50lb bag of feed? I could see it now wife starts to cook and says where in the world did the paprika go to..

 

[GreenMountainEric]

At what ratio would paprika or Chile powder need to be added to create a change? Or better yet what ratio not to exceed? Rough idea 1/2cup paprika to 50lb bag of feed? I could see it now wife starts to cook and says where in the world did the paprika go to..

On the paprika, you'd want between .15% - .30%. So, about 1.2-2.4 ounces per 50lbs.

I don't have a ton of experience with Chile powder, but I think it would be a similar amount,