yolks pale instead of deep yellow?

[Sabrinainmiss]

I know that thI have seen egg yolks that are a deep yellow in color but my yolks are a pale yellow. Is there something you can add to their diet to acheive the deep yellow color?

 

[silkiechicken]

Well, to get rich yellow-orange yolks, I let my hens free range and they eat bugs and weeds left and right. Maybe try to let them free range or bring the grasses and bugs of the range to them? I think you can also try to give them dandelions or marigolds to nibble on. Add some flax seed and you'll have omega 3 eggs too.

 

[Sabrinainmiss]

I wish I could let them free range, they love it BUT there has been a hawk around and has taken 3 of my 14 week old bantams, so I am scared to death to let them out. This hawk has no fear took the last one within 20 yards of me. Will try to bring the range to them.

 

[kico166]

My feed man said they feed alfalfa to the chickens to the deeper yolk color - especially for the ones that are produced for making pasta.

I kept a 'slab' of alfalfa available to mine over the winter - make sure it's a bale with lots of fine leaves. He called it 'fancy'. They won't eat the stems and Alfalfa pellets are too big for them. I haven't had a chance to experiment to see if I could break up the pellets. From what I've seen in calf starter the pellets are pretty hard.

This year I am letting the girls out to free range during the afternoons. I didn't have them at my house til the end of August. Then I would pull a bucket of clover from a corner of the yard. They loved that!

Last night I waited til twilight - they were all in the coop!
I put fresh water - and some feed in the bucket around 6pm for a snack.

Just my $.02 worth -