Wilcox Farm egg yolks - how do they do it?

[mermaid_of_the_farm]

If your chickens free range you should get beautiful egg yolk. Beta carotenoids are in plantain, dandelions, grass, etc. You won't have to supplement.

I do free range most of the time. But lately I haven't been seeing very dark yolks and I wonder if it's just the season? That's why I was so shocked when I saw my egg next to the Wilcox farm eggs because I do let them free range, though it's not 100% of the time. I'd say like 80%. I read it doesn't make much difference in taste or nutrition but I am curious and I do think it's more visually appealing to have those rich looking yolks. Am I the only one? My cakes just look soooo much more vibrant!

 

[mermaid_of_the_farm]

Would love to see the outcome if you ever do that.

Yes, I will post something if I can make it happen. A little before and after

 

[mermaid_of_the_farm]

Commercial feed is already made from a few main ingredients and a load of additives for things like nutrition and palatability. For yolk colour there are products available that are either produced from marigolds or other natural sources, or artificially synthesised. The maximum concentrations allowed for those products are usually in the tens or even single-digit numbers of mg per kilo of complete feed, so only really tiny amounts.

This study was one of the first that came up when I did a search just now. There's a lot of complicated biochemistry stuff but this paragraph lists possible sources of carotenoids (which are what makes the yolks more orange):

I just got to reading the study you quoted. Wow, my mind is blown, that is a crazy long and surprising list of supplements. I
wasn't expecting to see crab meat and snails in there!
Also, I see calendula is there and I wonder if it will work - I do have a large bag of organic dried calendula flowers for herbal work that I can use. Thanks again so much for the cool study!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Hmm. I wonder if grated carrots or sweet potatoes ...

 

[The Moonshiner]

I do free range most of the time. But lately I haven't been seeing very dark yolks and I wonder if it's just the season? That's why I was so shocked when I saw my egg next to the Wilcox farm eggs because I do let them free range, though it's not 100% of the time. I'd say like 80%. I read it doesn't make much difference in taste or nutrition but I am curious and I do think it's more visually appealing to have those rich looking yolks. Am I the only one? My cakes just look soooo much more vibrant!

I like the deep yellow yolks but when they get into a shade of orange

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Yeah, crab? SNAILS???? I don't want that in my eggs! I don't eat that .... stuff!

 

[mermaid_of_the_farm]

Yeah, crab? SNAILS???? I don't want that in my eggs! I don't eat that .... stuff!

Right!? That's just wild! But I have seen my chickens eat some reeeeaaaally questionable stuff. Slugs, a dead mouse, catfood - made me go "Really!? Yuck!"

 

[mermaid_of_the_farm]

I like the deep yellow yolks but when they get into a shade of orange

Lol Really? Did you see the attached pic? Those yolks were almost red! I've never seen yolks that color before especially not from the grocery store.