Egg vitamins

[DragonClaw01]

What vitamins are in eggs?

I would like to try and give them some of that to see if that changes the colors of the yolk.

My yolks used to be a darker orange, but have been yellowing. Why?

I'd like to see how I can fix that.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They're yellowing because it is winter and there is little greenery to be foraged.
It doesn't matter what feedstuffs. If they contain carotenoids, they'll be darker.
We use corn for the base for chicken feed. It is yellow corn. that is the primary reason for US egg yolks being yellow.
In Africa, white corn is more common. Their yolks are much lighter because they aren't yellow corn.

The darkness of the yolk depends on carotenoids in the food. Vitamins don't have a whole lot to do with it.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=chicken+egg+nutrition+contents

 

[Bridebeliever]

Every single B vitamin is in eggs. Eggs are one of the only foods that naturally contain vitamin D. Free range eggs are also higher in Omega-6 than store bought eggs.

Do your chickens free-range? My chickens yolks turned a lighter color during winter but now that they are out ranging more they are getting the orange color back.

Things you can give them to increase the orange color:

Dark Leafy Greens
Kelp
Flax Seed (not to much of this as it can actually give a "fishy" taste to the yolk)

 

[crapwagon]

They're yellowing because it is winter and there is little greenery to be foraged.
It doesn't matter what feedstuffs. If they contain carotenoids, they'll be darker.
We use corn for the base for chicken feed. It is yellow corn. that is the primary reason for US egg yolks being yellow.
In Africa, white corn is more common. Their yolks are much lighter because they aren't yellow corn.

The darkness of the yolk depends on carotenoids in the food. Vitamins don't have a whole lot to do with it.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=chicken+egg+nutrition+contents

Learn something everyday! Not my thread but thanks!

 

[cavemanrich]

I am not a nutrition guru, but have nearly 20 journeys around the SUN of chicken keeping experience. I can almost guess that you are feeding your hens Layer feed. (nothing wrong there) .. They probably do not get much free range feeding, or scratch/bird seed/ treats.. (just my thinking) . Your eggs will look just like all the rest of the CORPORATE EGGS from the grocery store. There are feeds that do include marigold in the mix. They are supposed to produce darker yolks. The brand is Nutrea natural, or something like that.. I can find the exact name, if you would like. It may take a little searching on my part.
This is what I do.
I feed my hens Allflock. pellets. I supplement their calcium needs with cracked oyster shells free choice. I give them a quantity of scratch,/ bird seeds / corn. I also give them all leftover kitchen scraps. ( nothing bad like sweets, salty, just mostly veggies and fruit). They free range.
The eggs have really nice dark yolks.
WISHING YOU BEST

 

[DragonClaw01]

My hens get layer ration, but forage every day. I do not pen them. They have more than 2 acres to explore.

I live in East Texas and there is a lot of sun, more than 300 days.

I do not coop them up. Many sleep in trees.

Is it possible for them to sustain themselves on only forage?

 

[DragonClaw01]

They also get table scraps, fresh veggies, oyster shell and scratch


But basically all day they free range. They go into the woods too.

The grass is dormant still, though. We have a big front lawn of zosia grass, probably an acre of it. The garden died, but we plant it every year

 

[Hholly]

When I give mine leafy greens their yolks get darker.

 

[ChickNanny13]

I am not a nutrition guru, but have nearly 20 journeys around the SUN of chicken keeping experience. I can almost guess that you are feeding your hens Layer feed. (nothing wrong there) .. They probably do not get much free range feeding, or scratch/bird seed/ treats.. (just my thinking) . Your eggs will look just like all the rest of the CORPORATE EGGS from the grocery store. There are feeds that do include marigold in the mix. They are supposed to produce darker yolks. The brand is Nutrea natural, or something like that.. I can find the exact name, if you would like. It may take a little searching on my part.
This is what I do.
I feed my hens Allflock. pellets. I supplement their calcium needs with cracked oyster shells free choice. I give them a quantity of scratch,/ bird seeds / corn. I also give them all leftover kitchen scraps. ( nothing bad like sweets, salty, just mostly veggies and fruit). They free range.
The eggs have really nice dark yolks.
WISHING YOU BEST

caveman rich - My pullets are 18wks today, got them as chicks & fermented their chick starter. They recently started MultiPurpose feed (fermenting) as they have not started laying yet. They get veggie scraps daily, freeze dried mealworms occasionally, grit & dry feed thrown in their run now & then. When they start laying will put a feeder with oyster shells for them.
Question - Want more variety for them, I've read corn but not too much. What kind of bird seeds? How is scratch different from MultiPurpose? Guess I should ask at the feed store but there are too many "young kids" that never know. Thank you in advance...

 

[cavemanrich]

Way back when the pioneers were making their homesteads, they would release a bunch of chickens into the adjacent forests. Obviously not all made it to full term. Their reasons for doing this... The pioneers did not have food to give to these chickens. The chickens lived off what ever they could find in the wild. Pioneers would catch chickens and of course consume them. Not all chickens are able to sustain in the wild. All these large breed chickens need plenty of feed and often. Bantam on the other hand are able to forage in the wild and survive.

Just a thought crossed my mind.. I am tempted to quote Paul Harvey.

"" And now you know the rest of the story.""