Plants that affect egglaying

[crazyaboutchickens]

I've heard that Marigold Flowers will cause a deeper orange in egg yolks and Velvetleaf will cause rubbery yolks. Not sure if I got the second herb's name right. This isn't for any specific problem, but what other herbs should I watch out for, or remove from their free-ranging area?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Anything high is carotene will result in darker yolks. Chickens don't assimilate it so it ends up in the yolk. No problem with that and most people like seeing a darker yolk.
I'm not aware of anything that will make a rubbery yolk.

 

[crazyaboutchickens]

Okay, so apart from carrots and marigolds, what other plants have chemicals that chickens can't assimilate?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Carotenoids are in most fruits, vegetables and other green plants. Broccoli, lettuce, squash, pumpkins, collards, persimmons, melons, dandelions, spinach, apricots, mangoes, sweet potatoes, etc..

Legumes, grains and other seeds have lots of anti-digestive compounds and growth depressing anti-nutrients that affect chickens. That's just the way it is.
Some of those are saponins, phytic acid, tannins and trypsin inhibitors. Heat treating is necessary to eliminate some of them. Sprouting also breaks them down.

 

[21lnenne]

Can chickens eat velvetleaf