How do you get that deep yellow/orange yolk?

[alpinefarm]

Just an "add on" to my suet recipe:
I also like to add flax seed to this, as my hens often miss or refuse to eat flax free-choice, but will accept it in a "cake."

Interesting that dairy cows and goats produce a deeper yellow butter when pastured and then give a lighter yellow butter when fed corn. Random thought, probably totally irrevelant to eggs. But still.

 

[UrbanFarmerGreg]

Hey would this be true for ducks as well? I have both but the ducks haven't started laying yet... they are indian runner ducks, just over 4 months......

 

[Markb2004]

Hi,

I cant let my hens free range at the moment, we have about 3 to 4 foxes roaming around and i be afraid to let them out, also our house which has a big back garden is not inclosed. Last week i fed the hens some treats, there only young birds, i gave them lettuce bananas and some spinage, they next day the shell were soft and i had to dump them, the guy that i got the hens from said to cut out the treats, i did and the shells are back to normal.

Can i start giving them treats again ??

 

[Den in Penn]

In moderation any time. They should clean the treat up quickly. You want them to have a balanced diet, too many treats unbalances that diet. Soft eggs are still good to use. Think of it as Something that comes in a tin vs a soft pack. The tin protects much better than a soft pack. If the seal is unbroken the contents are still good. If the membrane of the soft egg is intact the egg is still good. However as it sits a soft shell is more likely to allow bacteria into the egg. So if has a much shorter self life.

 

[animallover505]

My chickens love lizards and eat all the ones they can find, but my yolks aren't as dark as I want them. I let them free range most days and when I don't, I go out and pick lots of grass for them. What's the problem?

 

[Jenny1]

Im glad you said that! My (only laying) hen is a leghorn and she lays white eggs with pale yellow yolks. She eats grass from my yard, and plenty of bugs and leftovers but it looks exactly like a grocery store egg! As I was reading all these comments I wondered what else I could be missing. Thanks for telling me that its just the bird. Are commercial eggs laid by leghorns too?

 

[Jenny1]

I bet consumers dont want darker yolks. Everyone wants egg WHITES because they are healthier, (or so they say) right? Well, by that same thought process(wrong though it may be) a darker yolk would have more bad stuff. A lighter yolk would be better. I am not saying this is right, but I bet that is part of the reason that they dont darken it up commercially. And maybe the breed of chicken they use too.