Does food affect egg taste

[eggcited2]

I was wondering if things you give for treats to chickens ever affect the taste of their eggs? Like if they had green pepper a lot or some other strong flavored treat.

 

[colby318]

I think garlic might give eggs an off taste. Other than that, fresh vegs just make the eggs taste better.

 

[Akane]

Some nutrients will effect egg taste. The eggs will not necessarily taste like the food they ate. The most common example is feeding flaxseed for the essential fatty acids and getting a fishy taste. Anything high in EFAs will have the same result including lots of fish. You will not get pepper tasting eggs because the capsicum oil that causes that flavor is not going to be used by the body or put in to eggs. You have to look at useable nutrients in the foods and what might go in to making an egg not the actual flavor or strength of flavor the food has to our tastebuds.

 

[Morgan7782]

I've heard of flaxseed affecting the taste, whether for the better or not is up to opinion. But that's what I have heard

 

[digitS']

"Jiang et al. (1992) reported that about 36% of the sensory evaluations reported a fishy or fish-related flavor in the eggs from hens fed flaxseed." Avian Sciences Department, UCDavis

"The researchers have already conducted taste tests and found that people preferred the eggs produced by the garlic-eating hens. 'The tasters said the eggs were milder from the chickens eating garlic than from the control hens . . .'" Clemson University study reported in ScienceDaily

Steve

 

[Organics North]

digitS' :

"Jiang et al. (1992) reported that about 36% of the sensory evaluations reported a fishy or fish-related flavor in the eggs from hens fed flaxseed." Avian Sciences Department, UCDavis

"The researchers have already conducted taste tests and found that people preferred the eggs produced by the garlic-eating hens. 'The tasters said the eggs were milder from the chickens eating garlic than from the control hens . . .'" Clemson University study reported in ScienceDaily

Steve

Interesting reading.. Thanks
I did like the garlic study indeed!
The flax study.. Really Did not say anything that I wanted to hear at least... and comes from the "non organic" mindset folks.

I feed 20% whole flax. No taste detected. I believe 15 to 20% is the recommended amount for gains in omega's I think I remember studies claiming up to 40% can be fed before it effects the taste of the egg. (Don't quote me on that though....)

As far as treats. I would not worry about the peppers or anything else. If it is not a main part of their diet for weeks straight I would think it will not make a difference.

ON​

 

[digitS']

ON, notice that only 36% could detect any fishy flavor in this 1 study.

That would mean well over half the tasters noticed nothing.

It couldn't have been in the least a pronounced flavor if well over half the people couldn't even taste it. And, I think this was flax seed at 15% of diet.

Steve