Orange Yolks

[Yoder Farm]

I'm pretty new to raising chickens, this is the first year I've had them. They lay very pretty brown eggs and I notice the yolks are orange. Not like the pale yellow you see in the stores. Is that a good thing? The eggs themselves are the tastiest eggs I've ever had. The chickens are free to just "roam" around the yard and they eat a lot of bugs, grass, seeds... they seem to not like cracked corn or grains much and prefer to dig for bugs. Could that be the reason their egg yolks are orange?

 

[karimw]

Oh, yes! The tasty orange yolk is the best thing about free range eggs! I can't stand store bought eggs anymore

 

[Yoder Farm]

What makes them orange vs. the pale yellow in store eggs? Is it the diet? The exercise?

I agree I can't stand store-bought eggs either. And this weekend I made homemade pasta from the chickens' eggs and it was absolutely delicious!

 

[sunnyvera]

From everything I have read, it is the greens they eat that contributes to the deep yellow yolks. They love grass, lettuce, anything green, etc.

 

[NanaLantana]

Part of the reason for the orange yolks is the happiness of the chickens being loved! They really don't do that well in little 12 x 12 cages - - - - - lay anemic eggs - - - - - -

 

[georgialee]

It's from the greens they eat

 

[JerseyFresh]

My wife had to adjust some recipes due to the difference in the eggs. I especially like the egg noodles she makes for chicken soup. So much better.

 

[chicknbuns]

My chickens also lay brown eggs and green (EE) ones and the yolks are orange. It is all the healthy variety of stuff they eat and the fat that they are healthy. Commercial chickens that produce store eggs are cramped in cages and feed the same feed every day, day after day. I have to say the orange yolked eggs that we get are soooo tasty!!! I think its all in their diet.

 

[Yoder Farm]

They do love greens, I know that

We had to build a fence around our raised beds recently to keep them out. I see them nibbling here and there on our garden plants but they are spoiled and have a lot of grass and green stuff to eat.

 

[NewHopePoultry]

Yep, its becouse of all the greens they eat

Plus the freedom