Natural additives, such as marigold extract, can contribute to the oxidative stability of egg yolk, but the bioactive compounds in these additives are unstable. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of encapsulated carotenoids extracted from marigold flowers (Tagetes erecta L.) with synthetic pigment (canthaxanthin) on egg quality and the yolk oxidative stability. Carotenoids from marigold meal were extracted with acetone, dissolved in sunflower oil and encapsulated by ionic gelation with calcium alginate. After drying, the microcapsules were added to laying hen diet at proportions of 0.5% and 1%. The experiment was carried out according to a completely randomised design with three different treatments [T0 – control, T1 – 0.5%, T2 – 1% (3 treatments × 5 cages, with 3 hens per cage)]. Eggs were collected on days 19, 20, 21 and 22 of the experiment. After analysing the egg quality, the yolks were used to determine the oxidative stability under iron-induced oxidation conditions, while the whole eggs were used to determine the oxidative stability under different storage conditions. The addition of marigold extract microcapsules had a minimal effect on egg quality. The effect on the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the yolk during egg storage was not determined, but the microcapsule supplementation improved the oxidative stability of the yolk under induced conditions. The highest increase in MDA content after 200 minutes of incubation was recorded in the control group (288.42 ng/g), while treatments T1 and T2 had significantly lower MDA content (P = 0.0042; 184.42 ng/g and 187.37 ng/g, respectively). The addition of 0.5% microcapsules to the laying hen diet proved to be sufficient to maintain the oxidative stability of the egg yolk.