egg flavor change with age?

[hensonly]

Hi,

my pullets have been laying about 10 days now (they started the day after they turned 16 weeks). :yiipchickThe eggs are good, but the flavor is very mild - will this change as they grow up, or is it totally due to their diet?

They are in a coop/run, and get layer crumble and lots of fresh veggies from the garden - zucchini, corn, green beans, lettuce, spinach. Also I pull grass for them and give them yogurt twice a week and raw oatmeal occasionally.

These are my first chickens, but I have had eggs from backyard hens before, also kept in a coop, but only given chicken food, no extras, and the flavor of the eggs was much stronger - they were wonderful, and I'd like to reproduce that taste.

I can't believe that eating nothing but crumble would improve the egg flavor. And frankly, if that's the only way to do it, then I'll stick with the milder eggs - my girls are healthy and happy and no way will I mess with that! But I am curious as to why the flavor is not equal to the backyard eggs I've had in the past.

Any input?

 

[miss_jayne]

have you been saving them up? some people say the eggs get milder after being in fridge or on counter a few days.

and yes, feed can change the flavor. i have a friend who likes the mild eggs, gives his seed wheat.

i like them strong also, and mine get laying feed plus all sorts of treats, and they range the runs.

 

[JennsPeeps]

I read in Michael Pollan's book, Omnivore's Dilemma, that egg taste varies by season, too. I assume that must be a free range thing.