yoke
- Thread starter dye29
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valeriebutterley
New member
Mine are fed on Allen and Page pellets, greens and not a great deal else. My (theirs!) egg yolks are a deep yellow and a joy to behold, everybody says so. not a pallid one among them.
rick
Active member
Corn is maize by a different name - that is, apparently wheat may be called corn in America (?) but what is meant generally is sweet corn. It should only be as a treat (10% max of diet) or the hens will be missing out on the balanced nutrition of the layers pellets and, in the case of corn, it will be fattening which is not good for a layers long term health (or any chickens long term health for that matter.)
As Valerie says, good quality layers pellets and greens are all you need for the best eggs. I did worry that too many greens would dilute their nutritional intake but it doesn't seen to work that way to any noticeable extent. I think its because, although their appetite is governed by the fullness of their crop, the protein in the layers pellets is always desirable - they wont just eat the greens however much is available. This is kind of borne out by wide roaming free rangers who will be back to the feeder for what they need unless they happen to find everything they need nutritionally in the wild (which is unlikely for a hen bred to lay.)
I give mine a half an average sweetheart cabbage or a single spring green stem between 6 once a day with maybe a handful of leaves later. I try to pick the greener cabbages as (for no proven reason) greener seems better although they do like white cabbage and are not very impressed by a savoy!
As Valerie says, good quality layers pellets and greens are all you need for the best eggs. I did worry that too many greens would dilute their nutritional intake but it doesn't seen to work that way to any noticeable extent. I think its because, although their appetite is governed by the fullness of their crop, the protein in the layers pellets is always desirable - they wont just eat the greens however much is available. This is kind of borne out by wide roaming free rangers who will be back to the feeder for what they need unless they happen to find everything they need nutritionally in the wild (which is unlikely for a hen bred to lay.)
I give mine a half an average sweetheart cabbage or a single spring green stem between 6 once a day with maybe a handful of leaves later. I try to pick the greener cabbages as (for no proven reason) greener seems better although they do like white cabbage and are not very impressed by a savoy!
poachedegg
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Talking of Savoy cabbage,I find that the veins in the leaves tend to cause impacted crop being the same as longish grass.
Just my take on it as a couple of times I've given it I've had crop problems with my girls.
Just my take on it as a couple of times I've given it I've had crop problems with my girls.
Some good-quality pellets such as Garvo or Dodson & Horrell have marigold petals as a natural additive to deepen yolk colour. But beware, and read the ingredients list on the bag, as some cheapo brands use artificial chemical colouring instead. I think myself that sunlight, or at least daylight, may also be a factor - when I have to buy commercial eggs in the depths of winter, they always seem very pallid compared with mine, being from hens kept indoors most of the time.
chrismahon
Well-known member
You will find the chemical colourants listed in the contents as 'yolk enhancers'- a fancy phrase to disguise what they are, just chemical additives. You will find them in almost all feeds with the exception of the quality poultry keeper brands as said. We used to buy the Smallholder pellets.
Just grass seems to do the colouring job although dark savoy cabbage makes yolks even more golden in colour and sometimes a bit too much. I think corn (maize) colours their skin rather than the yolks- they use it here for the meat birds which are reared outside to 15 weeks before slaughter.
Just grass seems to do the colouring job although dark savoy cabbage makes yolks even more golden in colour and sometimes a bit too much. I think corn (maize) colours their skin rather than the yolks- they use it here for the meat birds which are reared outside to 15 weeks before slaughter.
Margaid
Well-known member
I fed my free ranging hens on a 3 parts wheat/1 part rolled barley/1 part cut maize mix with just enough cod liver oil to coat the wheat grains. I had fabulous tasting dark yellow yolks which I'm certain came largely from the grass they ate. Lucerne is another natural colour enhancer found in good quality pellets
