Burford Brown eggs from Clarence Court

Yoke colour has always been decided by the what the birds eat. If the hens were in someone's garden and ate marigolds they would have deep orange eggs. Clarence house are only mimicing what happens in nature - like flamingo's having the pink plumage because in the wild because they eat a lot of molluscs high in caratinoids. Zoos will feed them a diet supplemented with extra caratinoids to keep them pink.

Same difference.

I buy my eggs from a farm shop where I can see the free range chickens whenever I drive past.

Allira

Chooks will eat anything including pulling flowers up from the garden!
Would carrot peelings make the yolks darker, wonder?

Yes, dont feed them onions or any strong flavour.

Chooks will eat anything including pulling flowers up from the garden!
Would carrot peelings make the yolks darker, wonder?

bluebird243

I only buy Burford Browns too, but sometimes buy local organic ones if I can. In recent months though the BB shells are thinner than they used to be, breaking with a light tap [other organic ones need a much heavier tap].

I've wondered what changes to the BB diet have been made because it's noticeable.

Shells vary due to the amount of calcium in the diet and the age of the hens older hens have weaker shells. Hens produce an egg most days for nearly a year, that’s a lot of mineral to digest and rebuild.

I only buy Burford Browns too, but sometimes buy local organic ones if I can. In recent months though the BB shells are thinner than they used to be, breaking with a light tap [other organic ones need a much heavier tap].

I've wondered what changes to the BB diet have been made because it's noticeable.

I always buy Chestnut Marans . They have golden yolks and actually genuinely taste like eggs used to.

NotSpaghetti that's an interestiing link, thanks for posting

Marigolds are allowed even in organic feeds apparently.

This is interesting from an egg producer

www.organicvalley.coop/blog/what-does-egg-yolk-color-mean/

The colour and flavor of eggs reflect the feed, hens eating grass will have darker yolk, flavor will also vary, care has to be taken not to have any undesirable flavors in eggs and meat.

Burford Browns are large robust outdoor hens which eat a lot more food and need much more space in the chicken shed.
Hence the eggs are more expensive, nutrition of eggs is the same wherever they come from, colours of shells and yolks makes no difference

I buy Burford when they're available otherwise any free range variety, have never noticed that the Burford's taste any better have just liked the colour of the yolks.

I also buy from one of the two butchers we have in our local village. They are delicious and taste better than any supermarket ones.

I always buy Waitrose small white eggs. They are free range. The yolks are orange, taste delicious and are perfect for poaching.

eddiecat78

I tried feeding my 3 chucks marigolds - they were not impressed

I can report that chucks like digestive biscuits and apples😃

I tried feeding my 3 chucks marigolds - they were not impressed

My son buys them but I'm not sure why. I eat them sometimes, can't say I've noticed much difference apart from the appearance.

I only ever buy free range eggs but did a taste experiment with buying the Burfords, just six last Autumn sometime.Neither me or DP noticed any difference in taste to any other free range eggs which are all nice but never as good as from anyone who keeps hens as once a neighbour did, and gave us a few now and then.

Confess to never having heard of Burford eggs.

I buy ours at our local butcher. Think they’re £1.60 for 6.

Large and brown.

Only from a few miles away.

Is the Marigold and Paprika in anyway detrimental to the hens health? This reminds me of corn-fed chicken.
Is it good, bad or irrelevent!

Never tried them, but always buy organic and free range. Feeding marigolds to hens does not bother me however.

I like the Burford brown eggs they always seem tastier to other eggs.

For a few years a couple rented a 2 acre field across the road from our home. As this is in a flood risk area I had their phone number so they could move their pigs, sheep and hens to higher ground. Sometimes they would give me some "cra y eggs" as they we odd shapes and sizes to sell. I was always very grateful and offered to pay but no money was accepted. They were lovely eggs.

Most supermarkets stock them , definitely in Morrisons

Only Burford Browns here , although they are more expensive!

If we were near a local smallholder I’d buy from them. But we’re not.

I buy Burfords, I hope the hens are happy. When I had 3 garden hens, I fed corn and the girls produced delicious eggs with a beautiful yellow yolk

Feeding special diets for colour is not unusual. This is from Google:

Flamingos only get pink because of the food they eat. In captivity (zoos) they're fed specially created flamingo pellets to help them become pink. The process is a lot like what happens for farmed salmon. We want them to be pink because, in the wild at least, the pinker they are, the healthier they are