YOLK COLOUR The lovely golden colour of egg yolks comes from carotenoids, the same natural pigments that give fruit and vegetables their bright orange and yellow colours. The more of these fruits and vegetables in a chook’s diet, the richer the colour of the yolk she will produce – simple! A variety of feed sources, including pasture and veggie scraps, will contribute a range of carotenoids to your flock’s diet, so variation in yolk colour is likely. And although bright orange yolks look great on toast, they’re no more nutritious than lighter coloured yolks. BLOOD IN THE YOLK Sometimes when you crack an egg, you’ll get an unpleasant surprise in the form of blood or ‘meat spots’. While these can be off-putting, they are harmless and can be easily removed – no need to throw out the whole egg! It’s also no cause for alarm. Sometimes when a mature yolk is released from its follicle in the ovary (which usually occurs along a line called a ‘stigma’), a tiny blood vessel may be torn, releasing a little blood into the forming egg. Some breeds of laying birds have a genetic tendency to lay more eggs with blood spots. Also, you can expect more blood spotting in young hens just coming into lay. PART 1 AN INTRODUCTION TO OUR FEATHERED FRIENDS 14 | THE CHOOK BOOK