Wheaten Ameraucana...

[Paul]

Royce didn\'t get the info about Ameraucanas storing their egg color agent in their face, comb, shanks and feet from Backyard Poultry-it came from me, (Paul Smith).  Mike, you shared that info with me about 8 or 9 years ago.  You also said when the birds ran out of stored coloring agent, they would lay a lighter \"washed out\" or \"faded\" egg.
  It looks as if we can label this a myth and put it away.  Unfortunately I shared the info with many during the past years.

[Mike Gilbert]

Paul, there must have been some misunderstanding as to what was said.   The yellow pigment, , a form of xanthophyll, actually is stored in the skin.   As a hen lays more and more eggs, the xanthophyll is drained from the system, deposited in the yolks,  and the yellow skinned legs and skin become pale.   The egg yolks would become paler also.  It is re-established in the system while the birds are not laying by eating plant material that contains it, such as green grass, corn, etc.      For that reason a willow shanked bird that is a good layer will often change to a slate shanked bird, since the yellow part that makes up willow disappears.   It does not change genetically, however.  I do not remember ever saying blue is stored in the visible parts of a chicken;  if it did, why would the legs not become pale after an Ameraucana lays lots of eggs?   I am truly sorry if I misled you.

[Blue Egg Acres]

As a hen lays more and more eggs, the xanthophyll is drained from the system, deposited in the yolks,  and the yellow skinned legs and skin become pale.   The egg yolks would become paler also.

I understand this to be what is referred to as the \"bleaching sequence\". I was under the impression that this is responsible for the shell color fading as the laying season progresses. Is this the case or is something else responsible for this?

[Mike Gilbert]

Xanthophyll is yellow pigment, and I assume you are referring to the biliverdin pigment that causes blue shell.
Whatever chemicals are needed for the sythesis of biliverdin by the shell gland apparently are depleted during the laying cycle as well.    Some have claimed that feeding foods high in copper will help increase/sustain blue shell color, but I have not tried it and have no proof.   If you have ever seen a copper sulfate solution you would know why this might be considered a valid theory to test out.

[John]

xanthophyll is drained from the system, deposited in the yolks,

Not to get too far off track here, but speaking of those rich golden colored yolks that many thing should be the norm...aren\'t.  Pale yellow yokes are normal for most chickens.  Feeds rich in xanthophyll (like marigolds) will add richer and darker color to the yokes (& the skin of yellow skinned birds) and it helps folks sell eggs to the suburbanites, just like at least one company does to make the skin of their chicken meat extra yellow.  Is a brown or blue shelled egg with a dark yoke any better for you than a white shelled egg with a pale yellow yoke?  It\'s all about marketing.  

[Birch Run Farm]

I love the look of the orange yolk, not sure that it makes it any more nutritious, just looks better to me.  I can\'t get Purina Layena here in Vermont, but I loved it for the marigold content.

In the deep cold part of winter, when it is -30 here, I cut down Hemlock branches and put them inside the coops.  The poultry loves to eat the needles and even that little bit of green adds a bit of color to the yolks.