ORANGE YOLK

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Yolk color can be augmented by feed, so you need to also look at the firmness of the yolk and white as well, store bought are flattened out, home grown are firm, they stand up high and are firmer.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Hm. Someone once told me the darker yolks are healthier chickens. My hen Nimbus mainly eats bugs, grass, and seeds she finds. Guess that sort of diet makes that color yolk?

that argument can be made in a round about way. ....if a chicken is coming by the high levels of carotenoids from a diet rich in foods high in them, that would arguably translate to a bird in good health (though the bird could be consuming those foods and still have any number of poor health issues). However, cheater feed that had been enhanced with carotenoid supplement can be fed to birds being kept in horrible conditions and the yolks would be orange.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Some hens lay eggs with more watery whites, yolks less firm, or stuff like that, quality can vary by the hen. Older hens often lay poor quality eggs from a watery white/less firm yolk aspect. Hens that have laid a long time without molting can have lower quality eggs. There are a lot of different reasons that eggs are different quality.

Our eggs are normally pretty fresh. Supermarket eggs have normally been stored a while. That makes the store easier to peel if you want a peeled boiled egg. Since the supermarket eggs have been stored longer before sale, they have lost more moisture. That can make the whites more runny and the yolks less firm. It doesn’t mean the nutritional value is any different, just the appearance.

What they eat can make a difference in appearance and a small difference in nutrition. I prefer my eggs to store eggs, mainly because I know what they have been eating. Some of that can be pretty disgusting when you get down to it but it is processed and OK by me.

Carlo, I agree that the best way to find eggs with a darker yolk is to try a Farmer’s Market or find someone selling eggs on their own, not in a store, something like that dairy you mentioned. There may be some challenges with that in LA. Good luck and welcome to our country.

 

[Hholly]

There is a brand called Goldrich that comes pretty close to the orange yolk farm eggs. Definitely richer tasting than regular supermarket eggs.
Hope this helps!

 

[Weehopper]

I like dark orange yolks. I do think they taste far better than store bought eggs.