Free Range Egg Yolks - PALE yellow!

[BekkiH]

My hens free-range, and spend virtually all day eating bugs (they LOVE to forage in the woods), and whatever other things they find around the property. They are also provided with layer feed, but they don't eat much of it.

Any time I ever bought truly free range eggs (or got some from FIL), the yolks were a nice, rich orange color.

But mine are pale yellow.

Could there be any reason for this? I thought they just needed some time to let the "good stuff" build up, but they have been eating this way for a couple of months now.

 

[Den in Penn]

You mentioned that they forage in the woods, Do they have green plants they can eat? The green plants are what they break down to make the golden yokes.

 

[BekkiH]

You mentioned that they forage in the woods, Do they have green plants they can eat? The green plants are what they break down to make the golden yokes.

That could be it!

There is plenty of grass around, but they seem to stay in the woods by the coop. Silly chickens...

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Chickens are like people. Some will eat their vegetables while others won't.

I cooked some White Leghorn pullet eggs last night and this morning. Their yolks could not have been more pale if they'd come from the grocery store yet they were from MY birds that are in tractors which are moved to fresh pasture every day! I can offer them grass, but I cannot make them eat it.

They may yet change their minds. I expect mine will too.

 

[naadarien]

That probably explains it. The fresh, free-range eggs we get from my in-laws RIRs have never had really yellow yolks. Once in a blue moon maybe, but not on the regular. They eat no feed. Only a natural diet. They range though in a wooded area with more pine needles than greens. They are given the household's organic veggie cast-offs to make up the difference. Those do get eaten though by the chickens.

Can't wait to see how our yolks look (and if they'll be darker)...