Yolk colour and food?

[janzbro]

Does anybody feed their chux any particular food or supplement to help get better yolk colour?

[veggiechicken]

Only grass when they're out foraging!

[janzbro]

I have been giving mine grated carrots and red cabbage for the last month the yolks are gorgeous, not sure if its added any colour or substance to them but the girls love it anyway

[Lisasbolt]

They should have a balanced diet with lots of veggies. i hear the veggies really help.

[Bill HH]

Colour in yolks deteriorates through the laying cycle anyway. Note the gorgeous colour of pullet eggs. But nutrition obviously plays its part. We used to feed whole maize thrown in the grass with other grains (mixed corn) and reckoned that helped.

[bearded bloke]

Currently mine are eating their way through the runner bean leaves

[Bal]

Currently mine are eating their way through the runner bean leaves

I didn't know they would like those. I've put mine on the compost bin. My crooks are free range so they just get about and eat what they like.. They also get a feed of grains and stuffs twice a day. The yolks are not as bright as they were when they first started laying ( I got them when they were about 12 weeks old. They are Japanese bantams). But they taste delicious.

[muddled]

Dark green leafies are supposed to give those gorgeous, orangey yolks.

I give them a large bunch of chard/cabbage/kale/spinach leaves each day.
It keeps them happily occupied, is plentiful and free (mainly self sown) and I am convinced it is the reason their yolks are so glorious, even when the quagmire that is my spring/autumn garden prevents them free ranging as much as they'd like.

[Nicos]

My grannie used to keep hens 100 years ago and she used to say that the secret to an orange yolk was cabbage.
She did however partly free range Her chooks and feed them on corn and stale bread , so the cabbage probably provided the extra nutrients/ vitamins /minerals for the golden yolks.

I have read that giving chooks acorns turns the yolks a greeny/ red colour...never tried it to see though!

[Scarlet]

I give them a large bunch of chard/cabbage/kale/spinach leaves each day.

I grow lots of chard for mine too they love it

[janzbro]

I am planning on growing swiss chard for them next year when I have my new beds in order

Do you just broadcast sow the seeds and do you stagger the time you sow it or just do it all at once?

[janzbro]

I also read on tinternet that a guy gave his hens chillies and their yolks turned RED after a whille.

I prefer a nice golden to dark yellow but we have had some shop bought eggs that are almost orange in colour,these look too artificial to me, god knows what colourants they give them to achieve that!

[Scarlet]

I am planning on growing swiss chard for them next year when I have my new beds in order

Do you just broadcast sow the seeds and do you stagger the time you sow it or just do it all at once?

if I was starting from fresh I would sow in individual modules, let them self seed the following year but also sow a few more in modules. Eventually they start popping up everywhere, though I still sow half a dozen every year as backup.

[janzbro]

I haven't got a green house (yet) would a south facing windowsill be ok to grow them on.

Do you rotate the chard or just keep them in the same place?

[Scarlet]

You can start on your windowsill to germinate and then outside somewhere sheltered. They are pretty hardy. I do rotate them, just dig up the self sown ones and plant them where you want them.