Diet to Get Darker Blue Eggs Query

[sylviethecochin]

I was reading something that said there's no way to change the color of your eggshells via the egg-layer's diet. Yolks, yes. Shells, no.

It occurred to me that I get deep green eggs at the beginning of my EE's egg-laying cycle, and the eggs get both less brown and less blue as the year progresses. I read somewhere else that the reason for this is that she's running out of pigment. Makes sense. But if she's running out of pigment, doesn't she have to replenish it somehow? And wouldn't the pigment have to come from her diet somehow?

Some Wiki research later, I found that biliverdin (goes into eggshells to make them blue) is a byproduct of heme digestion. Heme is in iron-based blood.


So my question is this: Could a diet high in animal products make eggs hells bluer?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You could certainly experiment. Those blue and green egg pigments does contain bilirubin, a component of blood so they can be taxing to produce. Those that take breaks in production seem to recover a bit in that down time, and the color darkens a bit. I'm not sure if a diet higher in meat would change anything, nor if the birds would be interested in it as a constant food source or not.

 

[sylviethecochin]

I was thinking something like blood pudding, actually, but I have no ready access to blood (I mean, I could, but it would be a little expensive to do this) nor the opportunity to experiment (One green-egg layer does not a good test group make.) Mostly, it was curiosity of the "has anyone tried this?" sort.

 

[BreanneRN]

Maybe you can feed her liver... It is inexpensive and available and you won't have to cook blood pudding which sounds kind of dreadful... Liver is full of blood and that is where all the processing of blood occurs.

 

[BlueBaby]

Good question! I hope that the answer to that can be found. I have 3 blue egg layers, myself!

 

[BreanneRN]

Liver is also extremely nutritious and would give the hen a nutritional boost, extra protein, vitamin A, etc.

 

[sourland]

I'd be careful with the blood. They might knock you down and attack your jugular like vampires. I'm fairly certain I read about that happening.

 

[HappyDancin']

Yes, I'd try liver. Why not? Even if it doesn't change the egg-shade, you'll have one happy, healthy chicken gal.

Use paint swatches to keep track of the shade of blue...then you won't need a test group. Besides, how could you let one sit by, watching the other enjoy the delicious liver dinner lol

 

[Cryss]

 

[sylviethecochin]

Yes, I'd try liver. Why not? Even if it doesn't change the egg-shade, you'll have one happy, healthy chicken gal.

Use paint swatches to keep track of the shade of blue...then you won't need a test group. Besides, how could you let one sit by, watching the other enjoy the delicious liver dinner lol

I'd have to have it take place over the course of two years (A before year, and an after year) so as to be sure that the two EE hens' change in colors isn't simply due to the changes in their laying cycles. Even then, I wouldn't be certain. And over two years, liver would get pretty expensive. Pus, I'd have to separate them every time I wanted to feed them.