Strange orange ring in my hens yolks

[NorthTexasWink]

I've never heard of an egg steamer, nor of steaming eggs.

 

[aldarita]

Ever since I started steaming eggs (rather than boiling them) I have noticed that they peel better being fresh and all. I am following this thread, curious to know what caused the ring, I believe it was the crawdadys

 

[rosemarythyme]

Interesting... I had an egg yesterday (hard boiled) that had a noticeably orange center (like if you took the orange part from the first photo, and put it inside the ring instead), but it was the only one in the batch that came out like that. Boiled 13 others at the same time and they were all normal. I gave the orange yolk to my dogs, they did not complain.

No crawdads here, I just figured it's a random glitch.

 

[aart]

Aart, what's your thoughts on my picture? Do you think crawfish could have caused this?

Boy, I don't know. The darker coloration is probably from the crustaceans.
Why it congregated into a ring, I have no idea...maybe some weird chemical thing when it cooked caused certain molecular components to gather together?<shrugs>

Speaking of feeding crustaceans....to gain the color in the egg yolk do the crustaceans need to be cooked before feeding to the chickens?
I've always been leery of giving chickens crustacean shells,
especially the larger, thicker, sharper ones.
I mean, how do they get them down and isn't the sharpness an internal hazard?
I know plenty of folks feed them...but I just get hung up on and over-analyze the mechanics of it?

ETA: I steam my 'boiled' eggs too....not sure it helps with peeling as the dunking in ice water mostly takes care of that, IMO.

 

[NorthTexasWink]

Ok, yes I think crustaceans do probably make the yolks darker. It is what makes flamingos pink, after all. I bred tropical fish once, and you feed them krill and other crustaceans to pump up their color and condition. The shells (chitinous) of shellfish are very much like insect shells (also chitinous) and almost pure protein with hefty doses of calcium and iodine, plus lots of healthy trace minerals. The crab boil has red pepper and spices that have lots of pigment too.

As for "sharpness", well birds eat rocks and bugs and snakes and mice and lizards and fish. All have spines, teeth, bones, sharp edges, etc. As long as they orient things or get them pointed the "right way" I'm guessing it all works out. My little chicks did fine with the shrimp tails, some raw and some cooked. I've fed countless birds such things and never thought twice about it.

Again, having no experience with steaming eggs, I'm only guessing about it being a slower cooking method and perhaps allowing enough time for certain pigments to precipitate or stratify into a ring. But it makes sense to me, kind of like Saturn's rings.

Edited to add: Acolored zone in a raw egg would make me think of early embryonic development. I'd look carefully for veins too.

 

[Chickie Baby]

Boy, I don't know. The darker coloration is probably from the crustaceans.
Why it congregated into a ring, I have no idea...maybe some weird chemical thing when it cooked caused certain molecular components to gather together?<shrugs>

Speaking of feeding crustaceans....to gain the color in the egg yolk do the crustaceans need to be cooked before feeding to the chickens?
I've always been leery of giving chickens crustacean shells,
especially the larger, thicker, sharper ones.
I mean, how do they get them down and isn't the sharpness an internal hazard?
I know plenty of folks feed them...but I just get hung up on and over-analyze the mechanics of it?

ETA: I steam my 'boiled' eggs too....not sure it helps with peeling as the dunking in ice water mostly takes care of that, IMO.

I had never fed my chickens crawfish before a couple weeks ago. I had heard or read on the site of people giving their chickens crawfish so I took what we had left over and since I live in the deep South I put them in the freezer and let them freeze. My idea was, on a hot day, I would pull them out and give treats that they like to eat and it would be cool.

As far as the sharp shells I did notice a few of the clause laying around in the run area they couldn't eat. Everything else was absolutely demolished with every bite eaten.

 

[aart]

I will bravely toss the crustaceuous to the chooks!
I usually only have raw shrimp tails/shells, so I really shouldn't worry,
'tis tissue paper compared to crab or lobster.

Steaming takes no longer, just use less water and a steamer basket in your pot, 10-20 minutes after water boils.

From all the partially developed hatching eggs I've opened, I have never seen a blood red yolks. Veins form around the yolk.

 

[GC-Raptor]

USDA Egg grading manual. Page 17.
What they ate 10 to 20 days ago, will affect what they lay today. GC

 

[aart]

USDA Egg grading manual. Page 17.
What they eat 10 to 20 days ago, will affect what they lay today. GC

Huh, I wouldn't think it would take that long?
Was thinking 2-3 day at most.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Yep it starts when yolk is very tiny. GC