do dark yellow or orange yolks mean they are healthier.

[Meg-in-MT]

Lots of vitamins in pine and fir needles. Our cows also go for them after every big windstorm... the cows also love rosehips, anyone know how they affect chickens & eggs?

Bred cows can abort calves after eating pine needles. Not only that, but can damage a cow for the remainder of it's days. Ponderosa can cause a massive wreck for cattle farmers. Definitely not good for them.

 

[Kris5902]

Bred cows can abort calves after eating pine needles. Not only that, but can damage a cow for the remainder of it's days. Ponderosa can cause a massive wreck for cattle farmers. Definitely not good for them.

We don’t have ponderosa... just the occasional white pine, Douglas fir and grand fir... never had any problems with abortions in the last 60 or 70 years they have been on the property. Granted they just browse them a little after the windstorms, if they were constantly gorging on them or eating them because there isn’t any other forage it would probably be an issue. Our trees are tall so they just get the occasional downed branch they nibble on.

We do have “miners lettuce” that is toxic to them, and they avoid that as well as the foxglove (digitalis) and a grass called foxtail that’s just not palatable. I trust them not to eat anything toxic to them. It’s not like we are feeding them on it.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

We don’t have ponderosa... just the occasional white pine, Douglas fir and grand fir... never had any problems with abortions in the last 60 or 70 years they have been on the property. Granted they just browse them a little after the windstorms, if they were constantly gorging on them or eating them because there isn’t any other forage it would probably be an issue. Our trees are tall so they just get the occasional downed branch they nibble on.

We do have “miners lettuce” that is toxic to them, and they avoid that as well as the foxglove (digitalis) and a grass called foxtail that’s just not palatable. I trust them not to eat anything toxic to them. It’s not like we are feeding them on it.

My biggest point, whether you have that issue or not, is that saying pine needles are a good source of vitamins. I know nothing of white pine or if it causes ill effects or not. I'm sure that some don't know the damage Ponderosa can cause and generalizing can be misleading.

I'm not saying what you said/did was wrong. I just think it's good to clarify, for those that do not know.

ETA: Some animals will not eat things that are toxic to them and some will. We don't take the chance.

 

[Kris5902]

My biggest point, whether you have that issue or not, is that saying pine needles are a good source of vitamins. I know nothing of white pine or if it causes ill effects or not. I'm sure that some don't know the damage Ponderosa can cause and generalizing can be misleading.

I'm not saying what you said/did was wrong. I just think it's good to clarify, for those that do not know.

ETA: Some animals will not eat things that are toxic to them and some will. We don't take the chance.

White pine needles are high in vitamin C and A, I’m sure in sufficient quantities they could be toxic... I was unaware that other pine needles are toxic to some animals... as for in chickens I don’t know, I think I said that in my initial post?, it was a while ago and I have patchy internet service.

I will clarify:

The species of pine and fir we have in my area locally is eaten by our cows after windstorms drop some branches, they also love to eat our local species of wild rose hips. This is not their primary feed (they tend to eat grass mostly). Other areas may have different species of trees and shrubs which are not edible. The conifers in my area that my cows love to eat occasionally, are high in vitamins C and A. I make no claims to be a nutritionist, please consider my personal experience to be just that.

Hopefully your chickens are somewhat smart, and not eating toxic things. Mine (cows and chickens, even our fairly dumb sheep) do not eat the miners lettuce they have access to as it is toxically high in oxalic acids, but I bet my idiot cat would... if it’s green he will eat it!

 

[Kris5902]

I do love all the interesting things I’m learning here! I researched some and if anyone is interested, found a paper on abortions related to ponderosa pine needle consumption in various species...

PMID 1459912 if anyone wants to give it a read...

The cattle in the study were fed between .7 and up to 5.5 kg (that’s up to 12 lbs) of dried ground pine needles daily. This was done for varying amounts of time, up to 21 days at a time, and at different stages of pregnancy. (That’s a lot of dead calves and damaged cows!) The higher the dosage and the greater the amount of time they are fed this the more certain an abortion and permanent damage to the cow is.

Unfortunately, chickens were not covered in the study...

my personal opinion is that seeing some consumption in small quantities of fresh needles shouldn’t cause a panic, but if your animals are eating large quantities of conifers regularly, you probably have a problem.

 

[CindyinSD]

The rancher who free ranges his cattle in the USFS land around us told me cattle could abort if they eat pine needles (it’s all Ponderosa here). He doesn’t seem too worried about it, honestly. They generally only go for pine trees (dog hair ones) if there’s deep snow and they’re really hungry, but he leaves them here in those conditions (when they’re supposed to have been moved out already). It must not cut into his profits, then.

I’m guessing it’s a rare problem. Hope so, because I have cows (since September last) and pine trees. I can’t imagine the fallen needles or dog hair pines being a problem in normal conditions, or no one would want to put their cattle out here. We don’t have dog hair because (unlike the all-wise govt), we actually take care of our land. We do have some little sprouts I’ll have to fence off come spring, if spring ever comes, more to protect the trees than the cows.

I put some fresh pine boughs into the chicken run for the girls to play on, and was surprised to see them also eat the occasional needle. They don’t seem to have suffered any ill effects. I guess they mostly know what they need and what they should and shouldn’t eat. Chickens that eat toxic stuff likely don’t survive to pass along their dysfunctional tastes.

 

[Kris5902]

We have a few white pine where I live... and grand fir and Douglas fir, and lots of red cedar... our cows love the cedars for shelter (I call them sleeping trees, because they will all settle in under them to stay warm and dry), and do snack on the occasional fallen branches of the fir and pines with glee.

Our pines are pretty rare here. Here’s a Douglas Fir, not our biggest, but it was decently close to the road for a photo op. I’m 5’7” and about 170lbs for perspective

 

[CCUK]

I have been raising chickens for about 8 years. I have 10 hens now about 1.5 years old. They are confined to a partially covered dirt run and very spacious coop. The run is quite large about 90 feet by about 6-8 feet with plenty of perches and ladders for them to move around in and on. I clean inside and out twice a day and their food is organic layer pellets from Modesto Mills mixed with Scratch and Peck organic whole seed Layer with corn. I also throw out about a cup of dried grubs from Scratch and Peck daily along with about 2 cups of mixed green and yellow vegetables like carrots, kale, spinach, etc. that are mixed in a blender to make them easy to digest every other day or so. I can not let them free range due to circumstances but they are healthy and produce many eggs.

So having said all that... Are my hens egg yolks as healthy as those free range chickens which have such dark orange yolks. I have read that the darkness or lightness doesn't really reflect how much omega 3 or nutrients are in the egg, but I have also heard that the darker the yolk the better. I am not sure what else I can do. My egg yolks are bright yellow not pale but definitely not dark or orange. I have tried feeding them marigolds, dandelions, kelp and more but can not seem to get that orange color.

How much vegetables and bugs does it take to effect the color of the yolk? I don't want to over feed them bugs and cut vegetables and have them short on the balanced feed they need.

comments and suggestions appreciated.

I just read some of the thread and it made me think about the additives in layers feed. Mine get a local layers pellet. It doesn't say anything about marigold but it does mention carotenoid acid 3.2mg. Does this cause eggs yolks to go a deeper yellow? I also give mine kale. Most of my eggs vary in shade. Some are almost orange and some a pale yellow.

 

[GC-Raptor]

carotenoid acid 3.2mg. Does this cause eggs yolks to go a deeper yellow?

Yes, according to Wikipedia.
I feed my Chickens Flock Raiser and in my state it doesn't contain marigold extract.
I give my Chickens a flake of Alfalfa hay once or twice a week and the yokes are orange. . GC

 

[PouleChick]

Does anyone who has Marans find their eggs to be richer / deeper in colour and flavour? I noticed a colour difference and a neighbour who has my eggs commented on the richness of flavour (she compared them to her uncles goose eggs).

Here’s a Douglas Fir, not our biggest, but it was decently close to the road for a photo op. I’m 5’7” and about 170lbs for perspective

Oh Kris your photos make my heart go boompity boomp - how absolutely gorgeous!!!!!