Why Are Some Egg Yolks More Orange?
Effect of Dietary Carotenoid on Egg Yolk Color and Singlet Oxygen Quenching Activity of Laying Hens
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Silky Fowl hens naturally produce more antioxidant-rich yolks—even without special feed.
Most assume all laying hens process nutrients the same way. This shows genetics play a major role, and a rare breed outperforms the industry standard (Rhode Island Red) in carotenoid deposition.
Practical Takeaways
Look for eggs labeled as fed with marigold or paprika extract if you want higher carotenoid content.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Silky Fowl hens naturally produce more antioxidant-rich yolks—even without special feed.
Most assume all laying hens process nutrients the same way. This shows genetics play a major role, and a rare breed outperforms the industry standard (Rhode Island Red) in carotenoid deposition.
Practical Takeaways
Look for eggs labeled as fed with marigold or paprika extract if you want higher carotenoid content.
Publication
Journal
The Journal of Poultry Science
Year
2022
Authors
S. Kojima, Sakura Koizumi, Yukari Kawami, Yuna Shigeta, Aya Osawa
Related Content
Claims (6)
Giving certain plant and bacterial supplements to two types of chickens—Rhode Island Reds and Silkies—makes their egg yolks richer in colorful nutrients called carotenoids after a month, and Silkies seem to absorb more of these nutrients than the other chickens.
Silky Fowl chickens put more eye-healthy nutrients into their egg yolks than Rhode Island Reds when they eat certain colorful plant supplements — it’s in their genes!
Giving hens certain natural supplements like paprika or marigold extract makes their egg yolks better at neutralizing harmful oxygen, and this works in two different types of chickens after a month.
Giving chickens certain natural color supplements like paprika or special bacteria powder makes their egg yolks much more yellow or orange — way more colorful than usual.
Silky Fowl chickens naturally have eggs with better antioxidant power than Rhode Island Red chickens, even without any special diet — and it gets even stronger when they eat carotenoids.