do dark yellow or orange yolks mean they are healthier.

[JerryR708]

I'm right there with you! But...does that translate into tastier or more nutritious eggs?

Honestly, I could never taste the difference between the different shades of yolk. As far as nutritional value goes, I have no idea.

 

[Clairenh]

Here is a laboratory analysis of eggs produced by free range chickens and caged chickens. The conclusion was that there was no significant advantage to free range chicken eggs.

[https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/.../e3001d6a0e78b9e55c6f...]

In Michael Pollan's book "Omnivore's Dilemma" he went to a "free range" farm, and the chickens never left the barn. There was a door that was opened when they were about 4 weeks old (after danger of sickness, etc from being outside had passed) and only had 2 weeks left of life before slaughter. Since they had never been outside before, when that door was opened, none of them used it. A farm can label their meat, or eggs, "Free Range" as long as the birds have ACCESS to the outdoors. Whether or not they actually go out is another story, and according to the author, it doesn't happen. So the information in this report could be skewed by that fact. Someone would have to test the eggs from a true free range chicken (like most of the chickens of people on this forum) to get the real facts. Here is a link to a review of the book. See the 8th paragraph down. https://michaelpollan.com/reviews/what-we-eat-why-and-where-it-really-comes-from/

 

[Yuki]

I honestly don't use marigold. I do allot of meal worm and boss but my hens are also 5 some 2 and other 3 years of age. My don't free range they have enough space. They are fed healthy foods but have orange color

 

[ClareDB]

My Hens have always free ranged and have access to layer pellets and different grains with treats of corn and scraps, I get dark and bright yellow yolks, I prefer the bright yellow myself as its a cleaner taste but you do notice the dark yolks in cooking things like sponges and custards. When they fed on Lucerne grown around their pen the yolks were bright yellow to.

 

[Acre4Me]

In Michael Pollan's book "Omnivore's Dilemma" he went to a "free range" farm, and the chickens never left the barn. There was a door that was opened when they were about 4 weeks old (after danger of sickness, etc from being outside had passed) and only had 2 weeks left of life before slaughter. Since they had never been outside before, when that door was opened, none of them used it. A farm can label their meat, or eggs, "Free Range" as long as the birds have ACCESS to the outdoors. Whether or not they actually go out is another story, and according to the author, it doesn't happen. So the information in this report could be skewed by that fact. Someone would have to test the eggs from a true free range chicken (like most of the chickens of people on this forum) to get the real facts. Here is a link to a review of the book. See the 8th paragraph down. https://michaelpollan.com/reviews/what-we-eat-why-and-where-it-really-comes-from/

Some birds in backyard flocks choose to hang out in their coop (not broody). We had one that did this for a period of time. Remember, those birds had freedom of movement and were not in battery cages. Think through the business end of raising chickens for eggs.... and how much would you be willing to pay for a dozen eggs. More space required, more loss to biohazards (predators or illness such as avian flu). In addition, eggs have traditionally been an inexpensive source of healthy nutrition. There are many people who would get priced out of eggs the more expensive they got, and the more requirements - the higher the cost.

Example, Think about CA. Recently passed a law requiring *all* eggs sold be free range (not sure if this had a more specific requirement than just access). That’s a lot of eggs that will get more expensive across the entire state once it goes into effect. When I read about that, my first though was “wow, CA just made an all around nutritious food more expensive and possibly out of common reach to those lower on the economic scale”.

Also, in 2015, the avian flu decimated huge flocks of birds. It is spread very easily. It is spread by wild birds. Domestic birds and wild birds interact when they are outside. When avian flu is found, a farm is required to kill the entire flock to prevent its spread. Millions of birds, and that was only in a few states where the outbreak was at it’s worst. At the time I worked for a food company that manufactured a particular food item that contained eggs (maybe 1-1.5% of the formula). It was a huge ordeal to get eggs and my company was a huge company with a lot of pull and a strong supply chain. Some large companies actually had to reformulate their products during this time, because the egg supply was not there.

So, how much do you want to pay for that jar of real mayo as an example of a common consumer product with a relatively high egg content?

You can make mayo at home easily, but most people don’t and wouldn’t in a regular basis. Besides, easier, less messy, and often cheaper than homemade. But if you have an excess of eggs, give it a whirl (pun intended!)

 

[GldnValleyHens]

In my opinion, dark yolks taste so much better than pale. From some years of eating free range organic eggs, I wrinkle my nose in distaste at sampling a restaurant omelette or a friend’s eggs from Walmart. The rich, tangy taste of an orange yolk is delicious. I know that the scientists say there is no nutritional difference between pale and orange yolks, but it is a sign of a healthy, happy hen, one who eats lots of greens and insects. So it must have a positive effect for us when we eat those eggs, am I right?

 

[JerryR708]

In my opinion, dark yolks taste so much better than pale. From some years of eating free range organic eggs, I wrinkle my nose in distaste at sampling a restaurant omelette or a friend’s eggs from Walmart. The rich, tangy taste of an orange yolk is delicious. I know that the scientists say there is no nutritional difference between pale and orange yolks, but it is a sign of a healthy, happy hen, one who eats lots of greens and insects. So it must have a positive effect for us when we eat those eggs, am I right?

My mother bought eggs at the store ( probably Walmart ) and the whites were hard and rubbery with no flavor. They must have been old eggs, yet she had just bought them.

 

[TeenageRooster's Dad]

Fresh turmeric seems to work for us. Not all breeds process it the same I'm guessing but all my large breeds produce super dark yellows. plus turmeric is good for them.

 

[JerryR708]

Fresh turmeric seems to work for us. Not all breeds process it the same I'm guessing but all my large breeds produce super dark yellows. plus turmeric is good for them.

What a great idea. I have a bag of Turmeric from La Selva Beach Spice Co. and it is bright orange. The health benefits are great for people and wondered if it would be good for chickens. How do you use it and how much for the chickens?

 

[TeenageRooster's Dad]

What a great idea. I have a bag of Turmeric from La Selva Beach Spice Co. and it is bright orange. The health benefits are great for people and wondered if it would be good for chickens. How do you use it and how much for the chickens?

I usually use fresh roots, chop em off, mix it with their food. they go for it right away, tastes like carrots... I think most of the yolk pigmentation is beta carotene, which kinda makes sense, hope I'm not extrapolating too much here.

I also feed them Lipitor to keep the wife happy. Kidding.