Entering the store and going to the counter with chicken eggs, you can pay attention to the fact that in some packages they are white and in others they are beige. The shades of eggs vary from snow-white to dark brown, and some people are very surprised.
Why aren't all the eggs the same color, and what does their hue depend on? Which ones are more useful and which ones are not worth buying, and is there any difference between them at all?
What determines the color of a chicken egg?
It turns out that the eggs differ in color due mainly to the hens themselves. Indeed, the color of this poultry is also very different, depending both on the breed and on other factors. So, light leghorns lay eggs of a snow-white color, and the Wyandots always carry them with a dark shell.
Interesting fact: Some breeds can even lay blue and greenish eggs. This applies primarily to the Araucan breed. But this is still a rarity, they’re unlikely to come across in the store.
So, just looking at the chicken and the color of its plumage is enough to understand what color of the egg it will carry. If the feathers are white, and the earlobes are also not pigmented, then the shell will be whitish or very light. If the feathers are brown or reddish, and the ears are red, then the chicken will lay only dark, beige eggs.
What determines the color of an egg shell?
The eggs get their dark color thanks to a special pigment called protoporphyrin.. It is synthesized by the uterine lining. The egg shell is not formed immediately, and in the process of its creation, the substance passes into it, giving the corresponding color.
All birds have a certain shell color of eggs, inherent in their species - or several variations of shades. Many of them are variegated, and chicken - monophonic. Color shades and variegation are necessary in order to hide the eggs and mask the nest from potential predators and all creaturesthat can eat them. Being poultry, hens have largely lost these mimicry features. However, a dark beige egg can indeed be difficult to find in hay or straw.
What else can change the color of the shell?
A chicken diet can also determine the color of an egg. So, if the food does not have the full necessary set of amino acids, then the color will not be as bright as it should be. However, the color of white eggs does not change. But the saturation of the taste of this product in any case depends primarily on the diet of birds - that is why a home egg is considered tastier than a factory one.
Which eggs are healthier - with a white shell or with a brown one?
Many people have a logical question: which eggs are better? Is it worth buying brown, or will white be healthier, tastier? Experts confidently answer that the taste and properties of eggs of any color always remain the same - despite the fact that browns are sometimes more expensive. You can buy an egg of any color, at your own discretion, nothing depends on the shades.
Does shell thickness depend on color?
It is believed that brown eggs have a thicker and stronger shell, and white eggs break easily. However, this is also a fallacy. In practice, it turns out that the thickness of the shell depends on the age of the chicken and its diet. If we talk about young individuals, the shell of their eggs will be thicker, while in older ones it will thin out. In addition, calcium deficiency in the diet of poultry also thins the shell. And when it is enough, it will be durable.
Why are brown chicken eggs more expensive?
Sometimes white and brown eggs are sold at the same price, but in other cases, brown eggs are more expensive. Many people wonder what is the reason for this inequality. In practice, everything is simple: white chickens usually have smaller sizes and require less feed, space. Their maintenance is cheaper, which allows you to offer the product at lower prices. Brown breeds are larger and more demanding, because their eggs are more expensive.
Thus, the color of a chicken egg depends primarily on the color and breed of the bird that laid it. Also, the diet can make its contribution. White and brown eggs are equally useful for humans, you can buy any of them.
