[Joandthegirls]

Hello everybody

I very much a 'newbie' to keeping chickens (2 ladies for my birthday in May and another 2 being picked up next week) and I would really appreciate some advice on feed from you all.

When I got my chickens, I bought some food from the breeder which is 'Small Holders free range layers pellets' I have heard that colouring is put in feed to make egg yolks different colours, is this correct? I know its a small thing, but the yolks in my eggs is very yellow and I would prefer something a little more 'natural' looking. can anyone advise?

[alancane]

The yellow tends to come from eating greens i.e. grass etc. Do yours free range?
I would doubt there is any 'yellow dye' stuffs in the pellets.

[Springlands]

Your own eggs normally look more yellow than shop bought eggs  so maybe you have not got used to that yet.

[Thrift]

The more greens they eat, as previously said, the darker the yolks become and the stronger and more yummy the flavour. 

[Joandthegirls]

Thanks for that. Yes they are free range and have eaten most of the lawn so that might explain it!

[agapanthus]

The yellow tends to come from eating greens i.e. grass etc. Do yours free range?
I would doubt there is any 'yellow dye' stuffs in the pellets.

....don't count on it !!!!

[darkbrowneggs]

this was on thepoultrysite.com

The colour of the yolk is due to substances called carotenoids. The nutritional value of the egg is not affected by the yolk colour. The intensity of yolk colour may be measured against standards such as the DSM Yolk Colour Fan. Most egg marketing authorities require deep-yellow to orange-yellow yolk colours in the range 9 to 12 on the DSM Yolk Colour Fan. Yolks of more intense colour may be required for specific markets.
The most important sources of carotenoids in poultry feed are maize (corn), maize gluten, alfalfa (lucerne) and grass meals; these sources contain the pigmenting carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which, together with other oxygen-containing carotenoids, are known by the collective name of xanthophylls.
However, the carotenoid content in the ingredients of poultry feed is not constant; the pigmentation properties of the carotenoids can be weakened or lost in a variety of ways. These fluctuations in carotenoid content and availability concern both the poultry nutritionist and the feed producer. Because of such fluctuations, naturally-occurring carotenoids cannot be relied upon to provide the desired yolk colour or to provide a consistent colour. Therefore, nature-identical yellow and red carotenoids, such as apoester and canthaxanthin, are commonly added to feed in order to achieve the desired egg yolk colour. Consumed by the laying hen, these supplemental carotenoids are readily transferred to the blood and then deposited in the yolk to provide pigmentation.

I am not sure what is actually used now as a colouring, but in the past when people thought they were allergic to eggs it wasn't actually the eggs but the artificial yolk colourant that caused the problem

Also I think the breed makes a difference, for a year or so I had Marsh Daisys running with my Marans in the same pen with the same feed, and the colour of the yolks couldn't have been more different.  The Marsh Daisy yolks were a pale lemon yellow, and the Marans a rich deep rich yellow.

All the best
Sue
Dark Brown Eggs   (with deep yellow yolks )

[themagicaltoad1]

On a completely different subject.......you mentioned you're new to chicken keeping and are getting 2 more girls soon, are you able to keep them separate for a while in case of introducing diseases to your existing 2, and be prepared for some fighting between them.

[Sassy]

I think that the Smallholders range has no additives!

[Aidy]

As mentioned in darkbrowns copy n paste, there are additives added to change the yolk colour, Taken from Dobson n Horrell.. Also contains natural pigments Lutein and Zeaxathin (from marigold and maize extracts) and Citranaxanthin (as naturally found in citrus fruits), for a deep yolk colour.
I once spoke to a battery chook person, he told me they can alter the colour of the yolk to suit the supermarkets requirement.
If they free range then the grass etc will do it naturally as mentioned.

[Joandthegirls]

On a completely different subject.......you mentioned you're new to chicken keeping and are getting 2 more girls soon, are you able to keep them separate for a while in case of introducing diseases to your existing 2, and be prepared for some fighting between them.

[GrannieAnnie]

We thought they'd outlawed using any colourants in the feed

[Aidy]

Not sure what they now use Granny, but he seemed clued up on it.