Eggucational Facts About Egg Colors!

Did you know that chicken eggs are all white before they are colored? Yes, it's true. We in the chicken community joke and say they have ink cartridges in them. Technically they do.

They even can be "low on ink" so their egg color may be lighter than normal and even appear to be a different color due to contrast from less pigmentation.

Interesting, Yes! Well, Let me explain that and more about these wonderfully colored eggs!

When a hen is creating an egg after it goes through the transformation to become an egg it then travels through the oviduct to go through a pigmentation process. Each hen will lay only one color her whole life. This means if she lays blue, she will only lay blue.

When the egg is first created it will be white. Then she will dye her egg with a pigmentation process that colors they egg as it turns inside of her. Sometimes eggs can get a speckled coloration if the egg turns too slowly; other times it's actually natural for the speckling to occur.

There are many different colors of eggs a chicken can lay: Brown, Dark brown, Light brown, Cream, Green, Pink, Blue, Olive. And in those colors they can vary in appearance from different hues created through breeding such as Mint Green, Turquoise, Darker Olive.

A hen can get low on pigmentation and the egg will appear lighter or even a different shade of color. No worries, she will regain her pigmentation and go back to the darker coloration soon enough. This is actually a natural process for hens to go through.

Do eggs taste different based on color?
No, the pigmentation does not have any effect on the flavor or quality of the resulting egg. The diet and health of the chicken is what plays the role in the overall flavor and nutrition of the egg. You may notice that store bought eggs have a light yellow mild flavor yolk, while a farm fresh egg from a healthy quality fed flock will have a darker yolk, sometimes even red-orange yolk, that's more creamy and flavorful.

Sometimes a person may notice a difference in certain farm fresh eggs. That would mean the chickens are choosing how they eat a bit different then the rest of the flock, such as they may seek out more protein from bugs, worms, lizards, and other food sources near them as opposed to the other chickens who may prefer their feed and treats provided to them by the owner.

Why do some people prefer colored eggs over white eggs, or brown?
They're pretty! Farm fresh eggs that do not get wet or washed can be left on countertop and not refrigerated. It really adds to the decor of the kitchen and even attracts curious conversation from those who never seen an egg that wasn't brown or white.