What to feed to get Orange yolk

[Chikenux]

Hello everyone,
I been freeding my chickens 16% layer pellets for a year now, but I change their diet a couple of months ago with winter.
I fed them cooked salmon (from an out of business restaurant due to COVID) every week maybe twice if I have the time.
Then I fed them some canned spinach and mixed veggies from that restaurant, every other day, then I ran out.
Their eggs turn very orange then gone this month, I still do the salmon but getting low in stock.
That restaurant gave me a deal to buy off his stocked canned and frozen salmon so he could sell his business.
Now I want to get this orange yolks back and I want to do it in the least expensive way.
Yes I do free range in the summer and get light orange but this spring time, I want to make sure the chickens have enough to make those orange eggs again and want help if anyone could have a list of feed that I can mix up myself to get that dark orange again. My customers loved those orange yolks and with the yolks getting pale my customers are wondering if their still healthy.
I want to start feeding them 18% protein layer just to make sure they get enough protein and energy specially roaming around in the farm.

ANYBODY HAVE A FEED MIX FOR ORANGE YOLKS?

 

[Battlepants]

I use Country Lane layer pellets from Orschelin and get pretty good results:
https://www.orschelnfarmhome.com/16-poultry-layer-pellets-40-lb-101238231.html

The yolk might not be entirely the orange you are going for, but it is certainly MUCH darker than the factory eggs we can buy around here. The taste is much better than those eggs too.

 

[FeatheredFriends&Horses2]

Protein and salmon aren’t going to turn the yolks orange, but the salmon will help add Omega-3s to your eggs. What turns yolks orange is xanthophylls, which spinach is fairly high in. Corn and most dark leafy greens are high in xanthophylls, but the best source for the darkest color, and what is most used in the commercial industry is crushed marigolds.

 

[samanthaoverton]

I think the rinsed whole oats I feed mine made a difference...I get the kind in the horse section at rural king 50 pounds for 10 or 12. I hear black oil sunflower seeds to. I wanted to do that but they are priced insanely.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Hello everyone,
I been freeding my chickens 16% layer pellets for a year now, but I change their diet a couple of months ago with winter.
I fed them cooked salmon (from an out of business restaurant due to COVID) every week maybe twice if I have the time.
Then I fed them some canned spinach and mixed veggies from that restaurant, every other day, then I ran out.
Their eggs turn very orange then gone this month, I still do the salmon but getting low in stock.
That restaurant gave me a deal to buy off his stocked canned and frozen salmon so he could sell his business.
Now I want to get this orange yolks back and I want to do it in the least expensive way.
Yes I do free range in the summer and get light orange but this spring time, I want to make sure the chickens have enough to make those orange eggs again and want help if anyone could have a list of feed that I can mix up myself to get that dark orange again. My customers loved those orange yolks and with the yolks getting pale my customers are wondering if their still healthy.
I want to start feeding them 18% protein layer just to make sure they get enough protein and energy specially roaming around in the farm.

ANYBODY HAVE A FEED MIX FOR ORANGE YOLKS?

Tell your customers that what they eat affects yolk color (true), and that the changes in color with the seasons have nothing to do with quality (any more than artificially colored salmon is of greater quality) - its simply an advertising gimmick. You've been feeding your birds food coloring. (perfectly safe food coloring).

Marigold petals are popular fo altering egg color. You can also plant (and feed) cantaloupe as treats, baked/steamed sweet potato, carrots, yams (but I said that already!) [OK, not truly, but few would recognize the difference], beets, and other flowers/veggies high in betacarotenoids.

Again, from a nutritional standpoint, the color is near meaningless. Mine free range, and during a stretch of winter, they actually turn a bit green. Perfectly healthy. Its them eating more acorns. The ducks, particularly.

 

[FeatheredFriends&Horses2]

Also, personally, I’d reconsider going to 18% protein. If they are free range, they are more than likely getting enough protein from bugs, and protein is added dollars. It’s one of the most expensive components of a poultry diet.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Protein and salmon aren’t going to turn the yolks orange, but the salmon will help add Omega-3s to your eggs. What turns yolks orange is xanthophylls, which spinach is fairly high in. Corn and most dark leafy greens are high in xanthophylls, but the best source for the darkest color, and what is most used in the commercial industry is crushed marigolds.

actually, the salmon might, as coloring is added to farmed salmon to make it more attractive to humans. Astaxanthan, I think.

 

[FeatheredFriends&Horses2]

actually, the salmon might, as coloring is added to farmed salmon to make it more attractive to humans. Astaxanthan, I think.

True, however astaxanthin is often destroyed by cooking and the OP states that the color got pale when the birds were still getting fed salmon but no longer being fed spinach and vegetables.

 

[alwaystj9]

Vegetables, vegetables, vegetables!
My egg yolks are darkest/orangiest at the height of garden season when they are getting loads of garden surplus!

 

[Chikenux]

Protein and salmon aren’t going to turn the yolks orange, but the salmon will help add Omega-3s to your eggs. What turns yolks orange is xanthophylls, which spinach is fairly high in. Corn and most dark leafy greens are high in xanthophylls, but the best source for the darkest color, and what is most used in the commercial industry is crushed marigolds.

I'm trying to keep my birds to be inexpensive as possible but this marigolds your talking about how much do you think they are?