How Paprika in Chicken Food Changes Egg Color and Chicken Health
Impact of High-Dose Supplemental Paprika Extract Feeding on Egg Storage and Biochemical Parameters in Laying Hens
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Paprika improved blood lipids in Silky Fowl but had zero effect on Rhode Island Red hens.
Most assume dietary supplements affect all animals similarly; this shows dramatic genetic differences in response—even within the same species.
Practical Takeaways
Store eggs at 4°C to preserve yolk color, especially if they come from carotenoid-enriched feed.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Paprika improved blood lipids in Silky Fowl but had zero effect on Rhode Island Red hens.
Most assume dietary supplements affect all animals similarly; this shows dramatic genetic differences in response—even within the same species.
Practical Takeaways
Store eggs at 4°C to preserve yolk color, especially if they come from carotenoid-enriched feed.
Publication
Journal
Animals : an Open Access Journal from MDPI
Year
2024
Authors
Sadao Kojima
Related Content
Claims (6)
Farmers add paprika and marigold to chicken food to make egg yolks look more orange because people think those eggs are healthier—even if they're not.
Giving older laying hens paprika extract in their food makes their egg yolks more colorful, especially in Rhode Island Reds — they respond more than Silky Fowl hens when given a higher dose.
Feeding Silky Fowl hens a paprika supplement for a month raises their 'good' cholesterol and improves their overall cholesterol balance, but the same doesn’t happen in Rhode Island Red hens — so the effect depends on the chicken breed.
If you store eggs from hens fed paprika at room temperature for three weeks, their yolks lose color and important nutrients faster than if you keep them in the fridge.
When eggs are stored at room temperature for three weeks, the white part becomes more alkaline over time, especially in one chicken breed compared to another, and the difference between the breeds stays the whole time — meaning their eggs start off different and change at different rates.