Improving the Color and Taste of Your Eggs

[Brunty_Farms]

Hard shells are from a good diverse diet, it just goes to show she is not educated on chickens.... so pull her aside and explain to her why the egg color changes and why they are so hard to crack... and you might have yourself a loyal customer.

Plus the younger the hens.... the harder the shells. The more eggs they lay the more brittle they become.

 

[willheveland]

Quote:

That's too funny, I agreed with you on a post too earlier today in the meat bird section... LMOL It's a good day!

You guys don't really think I make cream of wheat for my birds do you?

What do you guys and gals use for chicken feed that doesn't contain grain products?

 

[crzychicken]

Yes fresh eggs are hard to crack they need to be cracked on a flat surface I read this on BYC and it works as for taste give her a dozen free and then let her eat some store eggs YUK! they have no taste My pulletts started laying in Nov of 08, last weekend we stop in at the local diner to have breakfast.
I could not believed my taste buds.. they had no TASTE at all, air it was like eating air. once you eat a few fresh eggs you get to love the taste. I also thought that my first few homegrow fresh eggs tasted funny but I quickly to realized.. that's what fresh eggs taste like not what we have been eating air.
good luck.

Some people just aren't worthy of a fresh egg!

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:

That's too funny, I agreed with you on a post too earlier today in the meat bird section... LMOL It's a good day!

You guys don't really think I make cream of wheat for my birds do you?

What do you guys and gals use for chicken feed that doesn't contain grain products?

I should have said empty carbs. Of course they get grain products. The OP said she cooks cream of wheat for her chickens.

I give mine whole shell corn mixed with black oil sunflower seeds (BOSS is about 38% protein, I think) for a treat. The regular feed is layer ration (16% protein)supplemented with distiller's grain (25% protein) to boost the protein content a bit. I give less of this stuff in the summer when there are more bugs and little animals that they eat. Last year they gorged on cicadas, I don't know what the protein percentage of a cicada is, but they're huge, and chickens love 'em!

Whole corn and other whole unground grains are supposed to be good for them, promoting strong gizzards and digestive systems. Plus mine get scraps from the table, kitchen, and garden.

Edited for typos, I have a cold. My brain has turned to snot.

 

[leasmom]

Yes, I've given them cream of wheat, oatmeal etc. I used cream of wheat because I ran out of oatmeal but like I said I had to lay off because they got spoiled refusing to eat their feed. Thanks for the advice. Such great advice!!! I really like the alfalfa cube ideal. I can pick that up tomorrow.

Thats funny that a customer threw out a perfectly good dozen because of not being used to the eggs.

I had already written out a little pamphlet but hadn't printed it out but I'm learning what I need to put in it just by reading what everyone is saying. Thanks so much! I will go tomorrow and get that alfalfa cubes. Thanks.

 

[DDRanch]

What an interesting thread. So, I would like to weigh in on this. First, the woman who thought your eggs were tastless and too hard shells doesn't get any more...ever. Please do not use this one person's opinion as truth.

I like to vary my girls diet with fresh vegs and fruits from the garden, (or the supermarket) lettuces, chards, spinache, corn, apples, pears, etc. Letting them free range to get bugs makes a big difference in the color of the yolks, I think. Their main food is the layer crumble, but every day they get other food as well. The free ranging or, just being outside makes is good for the overall emotional health of the flock.


You will find plenty of folks who want your eggs, and will appreciate the fresh taste and the beautiful color. And the hard shells.

 

[leasmom]

Thanks. Yeah she said she didn't want any more.

I'll be putting them outside next week so they'll get that good sun and bugs when the snow melts. In the summer I gave them all kinds of stuff from grass to foods from my garden. I even grew a chickens garden. In the winter I've given them food scraps, I've bought them their own lettuces and cabbage etc.

I appreciate the encouragement. That was my first sale so it kind of struck me down at first but thanks for the encouragement.

 

[msgenie516]

Hi,

I would not pay attention to that woman at all! She has no clue about fresh eggs or how they should look, taste, or crack. I am actually proud of the fact that my eggshells are "like concrete" and have to be cracked against a hard, solid surface such as an ironstone bowl. A plastic bowl simply will not do!

Obviously, this person has a lot to learn and cannot be pleased and you shouldn't make that your problem. Just enjoy your chickens and your FRESH eggs! Genie

Edited to add: I find adding a little cracked corn to their diet during the winter months greatly improves the yolk color.

 

[TimeMist]

Ditto on the cracked corn adding colour. My Mother and I live in houses side by side, and each have our own set of chickens that graze the same 2 acre area. We feed exactly the same brand pellets and wheat, but she gives hers a handfull of cracked corn to hers every night, where-as I don't. Her hens eggs are MUCH oranger than mine, but I do have to say they taste exactly the same. So it's good for appearance but doesn't seem to change taste.

 

[leasmom]

So cracked corn vs. spending money on the marigold petals until they are in season, plus sunshine... hmm.

I got to write a list. I'm gonna get more cracked corn to mix a small amount into their feed and the alfalfa cubes.