Why are my chickens’ egg yolks regular yellow?

[DallasLoneStar]

All seven ladies laying now. How do you guys get these orange yolks?! Mine look the same as store bought eggs. There has been no variation depending on three types of feed over two months. Is it just the heat (I’m in Dallas and it’s still high 90s during the day and about 80 overnight low)? They are otherwise perfectly happy and healthy. Other than persistent, daytime only runny poop all summer long, which I also attribute to the relentless heat but I’m all ears.

 

[imnukensc]

Do your chickens free range? What are you feeding them? Yolk color has nothing to do with the heat. Gets damned hot here, too. Bright orange yolks. My birds free range daily all day and are fed Purina Layer pellets.

 

[Folly's place]

Egg yolk color comes from their feed, including bugs and stuff they find while free ranging. Corn and marigold flowers will deepen the yolk color if fed.
I have a flock of mixed breeds, and some stay close to their coop, and some travel further and eat more 'interesting' plants, worms, and bugs. The birds who range in a more diverse area tend to have darker yolks than the birds who stick near the coop. In winter, with snow and not a lot of outside things to eat, everyone's yolks are not as dark in color, although they are always better than store bought eggs.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

I feed Purina Flock Raiser, and very small amounts of scratch and kitchen scraps.

 

[Willowspirit]

I know this is silly but have you been buying free range eggs already? Our eggs are not much different from those free range grocery store eggs.

Otherwise I have done nothing special and my eggs have orange yolks. Food: Payback Flock Raiser. Treats: Egg yolks, cheese, .mealworms, scratch, fresh corn and some fruit. Treats in small amounts and not every day.

 

[chrissynemetz]

I feed mine nutrina all flock, and they free range most of the day. I do believe the bugs and other yummy things they find while out of the run helps the color

 

[DallasLoneStar]

It was organic Purina layer pellets. This bag was another brand of organic layer pellets, but I forgot the brand. They get some treats, mostly black oil sunflower seeds and dried mealworms. Maybe one handful per day on average between the seven of them. The leghorns started laying over two months ago but as of the past week they are all now laying. Most of my backyard is a pool but they do like the monkey grass bed next to the house and seem to dig and find things to eat in there when I let them out of the run. Lately I have seen them get some big freakin cicadas!

Any other food ideas to brighten up the yolks?

 

[chrissynemetz]

This has nothing to do with eggs.... but oh how I miss hearing the cicadas in the evenings. We don't have them where I live.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Any other food ideas to brighten up the yolks?

Try giving them some greens. Now that I'm at the tail end of the summer garden I have plenty of things like kale, carrot tops, parsley, chard that need to be thinned out. I don't treat every day but every couple of days should be fine.

 

[drumstick diva]

I hate cicadas especially the 17 year ones - which are the largest group by far.