When you crack open an egg and notice that the yolk is pale yellow, golden, or deep orange, you might wonder whether the color tells you something about the chicken that laid it.
The short answer is: yolk color is mainly influenced by the hen’s diet, not simply by how healthy the chicken is.
In the image, the three yolks range from pale yellow to a deeper orange. All three can come from perfectly healthy hens.
What Determines Yolk Color?
The main factor is what the hen eats. Certain natural pigments called carotenoids can give egg yolks a deeper yellow or orange color.
For example, feed containing ingredients such as:
- Corn
- Marigold petals
- Alfalfa
- Leafy greens
- Other carotenoid-rich plants
can produce more strongly colored yolks.
A hen eating a different type of feed may produce a much paler yolk while remaining completely healthy.
Does a Dark Orange Yolk Mean a Healthier Egg?
See more on the next page
