What makes the yolks of pastured eggs darker in colour?

[Dillpicklechip]

I'm just curious.

We've been getting pastured eggs from a local farm for about 6 weeks now. I always noticed that the yolks were darker yellow than the eggs from the grocery store. But this past batch of eggs we got a few days ago--the shells were lighter than before (almost white) but the yolks are really dark--I wouldn't call them yellow at all, but orange.

I can't help but wonder, what substance is it in the yolks that causes the orange colour? And what is it that the hens are eating that makes the yolks so dark?

[Chanley]

It would be the diet of the chickens.

Chlorophyll mostly. I have ducks and some are better grazers than others, I notice in thier yolks. I also notice a difference when they are eating the duckweed on the pond, they have MUCH darker yolks.

The darker color usually indicates more Omega's and better nutrient content.

[caedmyn]

Could feeding chickens corn cause the yolks to be darker? The lady my mom gets her eggs from feeds her chickens corn and says that's why the yolks are darker (I'm not sure how they're raised otherwise).

[Dillpicklechip]

Chlorophyll would make sense, as now that we are getting into summer weather there is likely more vegetation for the chickens to eat. I know this lady who owns the chickens does give them some kind of feed too, though.

Hmm. Maybe I should ask about this in the Country Living forum. Inquiring minds need to know...

[caedmyn]

If you do, will you post the answer back here, please? Thanks!

[Chicharronita]

I thought the darkest-yolk eggs came from chickens eating lots of bugs?

I get both pastured and store-bought when I run out and need some desperately, and have noticed that some of the omega-fortified eggs have yolks just as dark, but they don't taste as good as the pastured eggs.

[caedmyn]

I've read that sometimes dye is added to chicken feed to make the yolks darker...I wonder if some of the omega-3 egg producers are trying to make their eggs look "healthier".

[momto l&a]

Green grass makes for that wonderful orange yolk

[Chicharronita]

Originally Posted by caedmyn

I've read that sometimes dye is added to chicken feed to make the yolks darker...I wonder if some of the omega-3 egg producers are trying to make their eggs look "healthier".

Hmmm. I guess they could do something like this with even organic eggs. At least the ones that say they have "x" amount of omega-3s can't lie about that.

[yitlan]

I was also going to say bugs. Here in the high desert, we don't have too much greenery for pasture. But I know my MIL's chickens do get to eat lots of bugs and the yolks are nice and dark.

[Traci mom23boys]

I have had chickens for about 5 years now, they have a huge area to roam filled with weeds, grass and our apple trees. Their yolks are a dark orange, darker than any eggs I have ever seen. I think it is beta-carotene from all the green things they eat.

Blessings,

[guestmama9916]

There was a great article in a magazine I read recently. I was Mother Earth News or Country or similar. It said that the darker yolks mean more Vitamin A, E and lower cholesterol than commercial eggs. I'll try to find the article and post again.

Kim

[quietserena]

DH found out that yellow #5 was added to some chicken feed to help the yolk color. :

I'll stick with pastured.

[spughy]

I buy pastured eggs from a local deli (they have a photo of the chickens, they are indeed pastured on a nice green grassy meadow) and we also get eggs from the backyard chickens, which belong to my landlord's kids. The backyard eggs have noticeably darker yolks, although both have yolks that are much, much darker than the "free range" eggs I occasionally resort to buying from the grocery store.

I honestly don't know exactly what's causing the deeper colour. Maybe bugs? The sow bug population of our yard plummeted after the chickens arrived. Our grass is pretty good, it's always green, and the chickens do manage to poke their heads through the fence of the veggie garden and eat the first row of salad greens and arugula (oh, and our peas...: ). Maybe the variety is good for them?

[tempestjewel]

I've often wondered this. My DHA eggs have always had dark yolks, but I bought some pastured eggs and they had really really light yellow yolks which totally confused me. :