In search of the elusive dark orange yolk

[aart]

I forget the persons handle here but the use paprika and cayenne pepper mixed into the feed. From photos I think it's beyond orange and moving into red.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1050559/yellow-yolks-food-question#post_16084771

 

[hayley3]

Animals are like babies, they can't really say anything is why I asked.
I ask only because I care about them.
How do we know it doesn't burn their throat?

Edited to add:
So I did a bit of googling...being skeptical. lol And I did get some varied research on this subject. but this one quote convinced me:

Avian species, in fact, do have the receptor for capsaicin just like mammals. It’s called TRPV1, which is responsible for detecting some other pain sensory input, too. Whether the receptor is activated in a species determines if that species will taste the "hot” in peppers. Some birds, like the seagull, have an activated receptor, but others, like the chicken, do not.

I found the article here for anyone that is interested: http://www.urbanfarmonline.com/blogs/chicken-quarters/can-chickens-taste-hot-peppers.aspx

But my goose's egg yolks were always orange without adding a thing. And my chicken eggs were a dark yellow, just not orange.

 

[Hholly]

Quote:
Orange yolk eggs taste sooooo much better than pale yellow eggs. I eat a lot of eggs. So I really want the rich, wonderful tasting kind, since I'm paying their bills.

 

[glib]

Still, this paprika thing strikes me as a difficult solution to a simple problem. A quick search on nutritiondata.com shows that dandelion greens have as much xantophills per ounce as hot peppers. And they are a lot cheaper to get, and the chickens seek them by themselves, they even weed out the lawn in the process. The top food is raw kale, in case you have the option to seed your run. Other "cheap greens" which are high include turnip greens, and surely clover has good amounts, too.

 

[MeepBeep]

Still, this paprika thing strikes me as a difficult solution to a simple problem.

I think a lot of people get this mental block that they already have 'yellow' yolks and thus have to add something 'red' to get them 'orange'... The concept of adding 'green' to turn the 'yellow' yolk to 'orange' appears illogical...

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Still, this paprika thing strikes me as a difficult solution to a simple problem. A quick search on nutritiondata.com shows that dandelion greens have as much xantophills per ounce as hot peppers. And they are a lot cheaper to get, and the chickens seek them by themselves, they even weed out the lawn in the process. The top food is raw kale, in case you have the option to seed your run. Other "cheap greens" which are high include turnip greens, and surely clover has good amounts, too.

X2

 

[pepparaaraa]

Surely adding peppers is not nutritionally beneficial to the chicken or egg just gives it a different colour... Whereas I imagine feeding them more green leafy veg improves not just the colour but health of the chicken and would help produce more nutritious eggs? just thinking out loud really.

 

[centrarchid]

My birds will eat feed that is pushing 10% by weight cayenne, paprika or even chili powder, Consider adding a little vegetable oil to improve uptake of the oil,


It is not a number of taste buds issue, rather it is what the taste buds are sensitive to. This urban legend of chickens not being able to taste or smell is bunk and part what is used to make the birds less important as living things.

 

[hayley3]

I agree with peppa, glib and meepbeep.
Darker egg yolks meant more Vitamin A. Coloring them with paprika achieves the end product but is not quite the same nutrition-wise for the chicken or us, who eat them.
I was surprised to see that chicken in the video eating a pepper though, which are high in Vitamin C.
I'm a health nut and I've done the fast that includes drinking cayenne pepper, and have heard it's supposed to be healthy but who knows. I think I would like to let my chickens choose which greens/veggies they eat. And since mine are now locked away and not allowed to free range, I need suggestions on greens...do you all chop up the veggies for them?

 

[Jesusfreak101]

Mine dont get any pepper they free range and eat alot of coastal grass and their eggs are a deep orange so i agree with adding leafy veggies to their diet makes a big difference.