Feed with marigold extract and hatching chicks

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by Patti
(Wakarusa, IN , USA)

Question

Feed with marigold extract and hatching chicks:
If you are feeding poultry grains with added marigold extract, we know that this darkens the yolk.

Will this in turn darken a "yellow" chick when it hatches? Would this not also give a false representation of to much formaldehyde in the incubator?

Answer
I really don’t understand the concept of adding marigold extract to feed. This product is basically force feeding a dye to chickens in order to make it look like they get enough beta carotene from fresh vegetation for darker yolks and healthier looking skin.

There are some possible health benefits to marigold extract, but it seems to me to be a false representation of the life style and diet of the chickens.

As far as formaldehyde in the incubator, I have no idea.

I am concerned for the health of the chickens eating this feed. Case in point: I used to raise Canaries.

I bought a beautiful bright orange hen from a pet shop called a “Red Factor”. I did a little research and found that this bright color has to be maintained with a color infused food and if you wanted to raise bright orange babies the food should be fed to the parent birds as they are feeding the hatchlings.

Canary chicks are downy when they hatch, like poultry chicks. The colored product I purchased said it was all natural and safe in any amounts.

The Canary pair went to nest immediately and hatched out 4 nice chicks. When the chicks were about 2 weeks old, the cock bird suddenly died. I was heart broken!

I went to another pet shop to get some help. I just happened to get there as a visiting veterinarian was discussing the dangers of color feeding Canaries with the owner of the shop.

I eavesdropped intently… He said that any concentration of pigments, even those derived from natural sources, causes a burden on the liver of the bird eating it.

My heart sunk when I heard this as I knew, through ignorance, I had killed my lovely singing Canary boy, that was such a good father…feeding and feeding those chicks…all the while being poisoned.

I talked to the pet shop owner after he left and decided to go home and toss this colored food out.

Fortunately, the male did most of the chick feeding while the Canary hen kept the kids warm.

She was fine and managed to raise the chicks alone. They feathered out in a beautiful light peach color as did the hen next time she molted. I preached against color feeding birds anytime I got the chance.

I don’t think enough of the pigment would transfer from the yolk into the color of the baby chick, though it might be possible. I wouldn’t want to experiment.

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