white yolks wanted: feed?

[aart]

Aart, I am exploring the possibility that I appear to have overdone the amount of vitamin A I've ingested over time as a homesteader and health nut. I have several symptoms of A overload and some of my skin is an odd color.

Sounds like some blood test might be in order.
I have some friends that raised corn free meat and layer birds for someone who was allergic to corn.

 

[kefiren]

Aart, Although you can find out what the vit levels are in your blood, it might not really tell you how much is stored away in your organs, such as your skin. Perhaps I'm "lucky" that the effect is right there (coloring my skin)!

Do you know if your friends made their own feed, or buy something, I wonder?

 

[centrarchid]

Centrarchid, I would bet that a white bird like my leghorns might need less carotenes, although that is just an intuition. Given that my girls are older (which means they could have stored vitamin A) and also have access to free range, I think they would be ok. It could be that I might have to confine them to get the effect. But I don't know.

Aart, I am exploring the possibility that I appear to have overdone the amount of vitamin A I've ingested over time as a homesteader and health nut. I have several symptoms of A overload and some of my skin is an odd color.

For more information about this sort of "newish" idea (that some people can get A-toxic on normal foods) one can google "Grant Genereux".

Negative on White Leghorns needing less carotenoids. You are setting up to treat chickens like veal calves when you could just as easily remove yolk while otherwise not trying to provide a deficient diet.

Have been eating more than your share of bear liver?

 

[aart]

Aart, Although you can find out what the vit levels are in your blood, it might not really tell you how much is stored away in your organs, such as your skin. Perhaps I'm "lucky" that the effect is right there (coloring my skin)!

No, but it can test for liver toxicity and other organ malfunction. Might want to cut back on other supplements and check your overall "health nut" diet. Just reducing Vit A in your eggs may not be the answer and may also put your birds in less than optimal health.

Do you know if your friends made their own feed, or buy something, I wonder?

I believe they had a custom made grain mix made at the local feed mill <scratcheshead> they may have mixed it themselves. Don't know the 'recipe' other than it did not include any corn because one of their customers is deathly allergic to corn.

 

[kefiren]

Well, for one thing the health of the humans is the reason we raise birds lol. An egg white doesn't act the same in recipes as a whole egg, and doesn't have the same nutritional value.
For another, it appears that the Japanese egg producers are having no trouble with changing from corn to rice. They also appear to be changing pigs from corn to rice.
It's funny how people think about carotenes, we have been told so many times they are good for us.
When you get genetic testing done, it turns out that some people don't convert carotenes very well at all to vitamin A.
I can see a long line of people in my family tree, both above and below me, who seem to have the same body issues that I do, symptoms that are on the vit A overload list (such as vertigo)
Yes haha bear liver!
I did take cod liver oil though.... I'm off of supplements for life, I really am.
If I could go back and change something, it would be to stay within the RDA for vitamin A in general.