Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: dennis on January 25, 2011, 19:44

Title: yolk colour
Post by: dennis on January 25, 2011, 19:44

the eggs my hens are producing have a pale yoke other than maize which is rather expensive at the moment is there any other food i can give them to make the yoke a deeper colour




Title edited for search purposes

Title: Re: yoke
Post by: 8doubles on January 25, 2011, 19:50

Greenstuff especially grass will do the trick, i think maize colours the hens flesh (as in corn fed poussin) not the egg yolk.

Title: Re: yolk colour
Post by: inchhighfly on January 25, 2011, 19:59

I've heard the best thing to colour yolk is plenty of insects.............. give them some meal worms - if the yolks have always been pale , even in summer, it could be the breed.....

Title: Re: yolk colour
Post by: Foghorn-Leghorn on January 25, 2011, 20:34

All my hens have the same (free range) diet but the yolks do vary in colour.  Some are lovely and marigold in colour whereas one (Leghorn) always lays yolks on the pale side. 

Up the veggie intake but accept it could be just how your girls are.  I'm sure their eggs still taste far superior to any shop bought egg  ;)

Title: Re: yolk colour
Post by: jinty1911 on January 25, 2011, 20:46

Spring Greens!!  :D

Title: Re: yolk colour
Post by: helens-hens on January 26, 2011, 12:58

One of mine started producing v.pale yolks back in the Autumn which coincides with grass stopping growing etc. I give them greens (mine like spring greens too or broccolli) daily at the moment and the problem seemed to disappear.

Title: Re: yolk colour
Post by: dennis on January 26, 2011, 18:52

 :) spring greens now on the shopping list
they get plenty of meal worms
thanks for the advice