⠀ Wanting more orange color yolks!

[Kmath]

I've heard that feeding marigolds to my hens will help pigment their yolk? Also I have heard good and bad things about switching to corn. I have way too many predators to free range here but we are now going to provide a huge run which will give them access to more bugs

 

[chickens123432]

I've heard that feeding marigolds to my hens will help pigment their yolk? Also I have heard good and bad things about switching to corn. I have way too many predators to free range here but we are now going to provide a huge run which will give them access to more bugs

marigolds defintily help! you could try carrots also

 

[SilkiesForEver]

I've heard that feeding marigolds to my hens will help pigment their yolk? Also I have heard good and bad things about switching to corn. I have way too many predators to free range here but we are now going to provide a huge run which will give them access to more bugs

We give our hens grass clippings, and leftover human food scraps, and their eggs are bright orange.

 

[enola]

I feed my hens fermented feeds. I ferment laying pellets, scratch feed ( with corn in it ) and alfalfa pellets like the ones I feed my horse. My yolks are beautiful, although I may be a little biased!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Alfalfa and broccoli seemed to bring out the orange in the yolks here.

 

[Kmath]

Fermented, can you elaborate pleasssse?? also for the marigolds should I plant a whole bunch in their run or will they destroy them? I have lots of space I can plant what ever I want... Ideas?

 

[Kmath]

Alfalfa and broccoli seemed to bring out the orange in the yolks here.i just have to be careful how much scraps. I guess I was giving them too much veggies they weren't eating their chicken feed so not laying very well but I will buy some alfalfa and throw it in once in a while

 

[Kev]

Don't they use marigolds to yellow the yolks?

Also important about marigolds... I believe the marigolds used in feed to yellow up the yolks are NOT the same species as your usual flower garden marigolds. Correct me if wrong on this.. remember being surprised by this ages ago...

When my chickens were totally free range- sleep in trees, never cooped up etc. their yolks would get very orange and even reddish(thought those were beautiful) during winter- spring, our "growing season"(summer-fall is bone dry) with lots of weeds and grasses plus bug blooms. Over the summer the weeds would be gone and not so many bugs, their yolks would go back to yellow.

IIRC I think you can get "not yellow" yolks by lots of greens, bug protein...

 

[Nupe]

My chickens can't free range either for the same reason so they live in a fully enclosed cage. I feed 2 cups of sprouted grains per day which comes out to about 3-4 pounds of fodder. Besides that, they get a 20% protein pellet and a cup of scratch between 18 chickens and their eggs are lovely.

 

[Kmath]

My chickens can't free range either for the same reason so they live in a fully enclosed cage. I feed 2 cups of sprouted grains per day which comes out to about 3-4 pounds of fodder. Besides that, they get a 20% protein pellet and a cup of scratch between 18 chickens and their eggs are lovely.

I feed an 18% protein pellet, no 20% here? Hmm.. I will add scratch! Thanks