4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Angels4]

Found this on the web. Thought it might interest somebody else. Check out www.yellow-egg.com for some other great articles and movies.

 

 

Why are egg yolks yellow?

This is one puzzle that is easily solved: the color of the yolk reveals what the hen has been eating. The carotenoids in the hen’s feed make the yolks yellow. They are found throughout the natural world, in fruit and vegetables for example, and are easily recognized by their yellow to orange-red color. The greater the quantity of these colorful substances in the hen’s diet, the stronger the shade of the yolk is. The hen ingests yellow pigments in corn or grass, for instance. A golden yolk is produced by red carotenoids from red peppers or by canthaxanthin, a substance found widely in nature.

 

The hen - a truly high-performance production unit

In the ovaries of one hen, several thousand egg cells wait to start out on the path to a finished egg. The yolk matures within seven to eleven days. After ovulation the yolk enters the oviduct, where it is enveloped in several layers of egg white. A thin shell membrane forms in the part of the oviduct known as the isthmus. Finally, the egg enters the shell gland, where the shell itself develops. Just before the egg leaves the hen’s body it is covered with a thin protective coating called "bloom". Thus hygienically packaged, the little voyager sees the light of day. A hen egg takes about 24 hours to pass from a yolk to a finished egg. A hen lays about 280 to 300 eggs a year - a truly magnificent achievement.

 

» By the way: brown eggs take on their hue only in the final 5 hours of shell formation. «

 

Why we love yellow egg yolks

Our preference for golden yellow egg yolks is rooted in history. Pale yolks were always a sign of sick hens, worm infestation, or poor feed. Only healthy, well-nourished hens store carotenoids (preliminary forms of vitamin A) in their yolks. Bright golden-yellow yolks show that the hens are well supplied with essential carotenoids such as lutein or canthaxanthin. These protective substances are widely found in nature; they not only give the yolk its yellow color, but also prevent the oxidation and destruction of fragile, vital substances such as vitamins in the egg.

 

Europe is not unanimous

Where the color of egg yolks is concerned, Europeans are not unanimous. A real North-South divide can be observed. While the northerners prefer pale yellow yolks, the preference of consumers for golden-yellow yolks grows as we go further south. On the shores of the Mediterranean, only bright, orange-red yolks stand a chance of reaching the plate.

 

From chicken feed to yolk pigment

Not all carotenoids find their way into the yolk. The well-known beta-carotene, for example, is completely converted to vitamin A and metabolized by the hen. Beta-carotene has no effect on yolk color. Canthaxanthin, another carotenoid, is different: Birds only convert about 30 per cent of it into vitamin A. The rest is stored in the egg yolk as a protective substance, causing the yolk to take on a golden-yellow hue.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

That's interesting . Thanks for that Mark .

[Egluntyne]

That is fascinating. Thanks.

[laurmurf]

I love these fascinating facts that you post, Angels! It was you that posted the link to the chart of the different hen breeds/temperaments and egg colour, wasn't it? My kids and I have pored over that one too.

 

I'll get them to read your post when they get home from school since all conversations are hen-related these days!

 

thanks again,

Laurie

[Angels4]

Yes laurmurf it was I that posted about hen breed/egg color. I'm not really a book reader, but when I can't sleep I'm on line researching. There is a very interesting bit on the web site link above which titled "Egg Construction" which includes a child friendly view of an egg forming. I found it fasinating.

[laurmurf]

so we're benefitting from your insomnia? In that case an especially big thanks!

 

I've got family on the east and west coasts and I'm always having to bear in mind the time difference when I talk to them (not that they always remember!)

 

My brother keeps Rhode Island Reds and Brahmas in his gardenin Portland, OR - i'll have to get him online too!

[Gamebird]

Thank you for that information. Most interesting. I have added it to my favourites list or as you would say favorites.