How do you get that deep yellow/orange yolk?

[peep-a-boo]

I bought some farm fresh eggs at a local farmers market. I was told the eggs would have darker yolks and taste much better than store-bought. I didn't see or taste a difference from the type I usually buy at HEB (which was a lot cheaper in price). Anyway, just wondering what do you feed your flock to get flavorful eggs.

 

[Kansaseq]

Deep orange yolk color comes from eating dark, leafy greens (grass, clover, alfalfa), and the awesome flavor comes from a varied diet of the afore mentioneds, plus bugs, snails, lizards (yuck!), worms, fruits veggies, etc. I get my best flavor and yolk color in summer when the girls have stuff to free range on. I did add alfalfa pellets recently and am getting better yolk color

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

Dirt, bugs, grass, weeds, and for us in winter, green hay.

 

[andalusn]

My flock free ranges and they have scratch. The eggs are so vibrant my baked good glow yellow. Nutrena recently reformulated the Nature Wise label and the note they have included marigold in the feed to give a nice deep yellow yolk color.... my flock won't need that

but that would be a good option for an urban flock that does not have access to natural greens etc.

 

[Mrs.Puff]

Letting them free-range gets the orangey-est yolks. Plus the younger girls tend to lay BRIGHT orange ones. Brand new layers at the very beginning (if they've been allowed to range) have super bright yolks.

 

[Chick Charm]

Grass, Greens, Vegetables and anything green gives the ladies the ability to lay those deep orange yolks. Even green weeds have a great effect on yolk color. Chickens that eat lots of greens have WAY higher omega three levels.

 

[GarlicEater]

I give mine lots of greens. They get layer pellets that are available all the time, plus I give 'em greens and vary it between stuff like collards, grass, chard, wild lettuce, comfrey, etc. Plus they get goodies, they got a little popcorn (that we grew) and some walnuts (that I gathered) today.

I'm not free ranging mine right now, but they're in a pretty big house, and since they're right next to my trailer I give 'em goodies all through the day as I get 'em (leftovers and trimmings) or as I think of it.

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

And if anyone ever tells you that the dark yellow is because they are fed marigold flowers, be assured, its a lie.

 

[Wendy'sChicksRock]

Quote:
Just a heads up if you have white chickens the MARIGOLD will tink them yellow too..

 

[alpinefarm]

Yes, free-ranging and greens. And I use whole grains instead of commercial feed. In the winter, when we are deep in snow, I give my flock spinach (I can get a huge bag at Costco), broccoli, alfalfa/grass hay. I also started making suet cakes for them....and I add in spirulina and or chorella (nutrient-rich, deep green algaes--I buy at a health food store). My girls lay nice orange yolks which are firm/don't run. The whites also have a lot of "life" to them. The taste is rich. A resort with a very picky chef buys every egg I can spare and raves about these qualities.