What to feed to get Orange yolk

[Battlepants]

I'm trying to keep my birds to be inexpensive as possible but this marigolds your talking about how much do you think they are?

Marigolds are flowers. If you have some spare land, they aren't hard to grow.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

True, however astaxanthin is often destroyed by cooking and the OP states that the color got pale when the birds were still getting fed salmon but no longer being fed spinach and vegetables.

I assumed he wasn't cooking the canned salmon a second time, but yes, the fade in color as veggies were removed but salmon was continued suggests the veggies he offered were a significant contributor.

Also, I need more coffee. Respectful nod to your superior eye for detail this AM.

 

[Kiki]

You can add cayenne pepper or paprika to their daily feed which will change the color of the yolk.
The spinach is probably what changed the color of the yolk.


Rinsed oats has absolutely no effect on changing the color of a yolk.

 

[Chikenux]

Tell your customers that what they eat affects yolk color (true), and that the changes in color with the seasons have nothing to do with quality (any more than artificially colored salmon is of greater quality) - its simply an advertising gimmick. You've been feeding your birds food coloring. (perfectly safe food coloring).

Marigold petals are popular fo altering egg color. You can also plant (and feed) cantaloupe as treats, baked/steamed sweet potato, carrots, yams (but I said that already!) [OK, not truly, but few would recognize the difference], beets, and other flowers/veggies high in betacarotenoids.

Again, from a nutritional standpoint, the color is near meaningless. Mine free range, and during a stretch of winter, they actually turn a bit green. Perfectly healthy. Its them eating more acorns. The ducks, particularly.

I agree it does not matter but people are people they judge off what they see rather than read the nutritional facts of an egg, also I am trying to get my eggs to carry vitamin D, E, K, and A which is known to be present on dark orange yolk but feeding the birds marigold or some other form of color enhancements, those vitamins don't exist (feel free to correct)

 

[Chikenux]

I assumed he wasn't cooking the canned salmon a second time, but yes, the fade in color as veggies were removed but salmon was continued suggests the veggies he offered were a significant contributor.

Also, I need more coffee. Respectful nod to your superior eye for detail this AM.

no no these are uncooked frozen salmon from a bankrupt restaurant

 

[U_Stormcrow]

You can add cayenne pepper or paprika to their daily feed which will change the color of the yolk.
The spinach is probably what changed the color of the yolk.


Rinsed oats has absolutely no effect on changing the color of a yolk.

The one thing to keep in mind is that, if the chickens don't eat the plants, it doesn't much matter.

Mine are very particular of veggie scraps. Which is too bad, because I planted too much arugula, then failed to thin appropriately...

 

[Chikenux]

Vegetables, vegetables, vegetables!
My egg yolks are darkest/orangiest at the height of garden season when they are getting loads of garden surplus!

Yes that is correct but in the winter time and early spring grass has not started to sprout yet and these eggs are yellow

 

[samanthaoverton]

I'm interested...did your eggs have any fish taste? By the by the oats did work.

 

[Chikenux]

Marigolds are flowers. If you have some spare land, they aren't hard to grow.

winter time/early spring cannot grow them yet

 

[U_Stormcrow]

no no these are uncooked frozen salmon from a bankrupt restaurant

I thought you had mentioned canned. In any event, its clear my brain isn't working this AM, I'm stepping off in favor of those whose neurons are making the right connections today. I need to do some culling.