No dark yellow yolks.

[momofchicks]

A friend of mine finally got some of my farm fresh eggs and was nervous about eating them. She remembers really yellow yolks as a kid, when she opened mine, she said they weren't much yellower than store bought. I haven't had store bought in so long I don't remember, but anyway, why aren't my yolks real yellow? I feed them layer crumbles, they free range about 2 hours a day. What makes the darker color? Oh, she did say they tasted good though!
I think they taste great!
Thanks

 

[blooo]

Hmmm ... mine range a similar amount (more on weekends), and their yolks are very yellow. I also sometimes give them fruit, greens, yogurt; but really with no consistency.

 

[BawkinOnTheBench]

Ditto for mine - they mostly just get out on the weekends now. The yolks are like the color of fresh orange juice. Besides their feed (they're still on grower because I've got some too young for layer) they mostly get what they rustle up for themselves while out ranging.

 

[NurseNettie]

Quote:
I actually got to thinking mine weren't very yellow-- but then I had to buy a dozen at the store and realized how wrong I was!! I think I just got used to the very yellow color and forgot how horridly pale the store bought ones were !

 

[AngelzFyre]

Because of so many predators we can't free range ours. They are in a covered run and I feed a variety of veggies, fresh grasses, and whole grains. I noticed in the summer when I fed less alfalfa and more grass their eggs were not quite as orange as when they got the alfalfa. Now that it's turned cooler and we are feeding the alfalfa again the orange is back.
That could be a reason yours aren't as yellow/orange as you'd like.
Same thing with mine though on the taste, it didn't change, just the looks of the yolk did---but still not as pale as store bought by any means.
HTH!

 

[DTchickens]

i have a few hens that do NOTHING but run the yard (about 40 to be exact.. their offspring off of the first original 20 or so

) they even stay in better shape then my chickens i take care of. mine get worms. they never do. their fat. mine aren't fat or skinny (thats good though). stuff like that... sometimes when i find their nests i'll grab a few for breakfest.. when i open their eggs their usually REALLY yellow. some are even orange and seem to taste even better then the others

-Daniel

 

[whatsup chickenbutt]

mine arent dark yellow either. they're just yellow. Nothing spectacular. Oh well. At least their fresh!

 

[gritsar]

Mine are very very yellow.
They have layer feed available 24/7. They also get table scraps, corn mash every other day and they free-range all day long.

 

[yopperchick]

my yolks change depending on what they eat . they got more orange when I was cannig this summer & they got all the scapes . tomatoes , apples , carrots, and this fall my store had a pumpkin carving contest we recived all the pumpkins and we cooked them up and gave hem to the girls. they also get wild bird mix as a treat . which has millet a little corn .and lts of black oils.

 

[bearcat73]

My dad always swore that the more corn they got, the more yellow/orange the yolks.