Do White Hens Lay White Eggs?
Do white chickens lay white eggs and brown chickens brown eggs? It’s a common misconception that the colour of a bird’s feathers influences the colour of the eggs that they lay. The truth is feather colour has no relation to eggshell colour.
What Is the Difference Between White and Brown Eggs?
While diet and lifestyle can make slight differences in eggshell colour, the real deciding factor in colour is genetics. Certain breeds will lay eggs with darker shells, while others will lay eggs with lighter shells, and others will even lay eggs with a greenish-blue hue. But the only difference between these eggs of a different colour is the pigment in the shell.
Are Brown Eggs Better?
No. One of the major misconceptions about brown eggs is that they are healthier than white ones. This myth probably originates from the association people have with darker, whole grain foods being less refined and more natural, and therefore healthier to consume. While this may be true for wheat, bread, rice and sugar it is not the case with eggs.
Which Chicken Breeds Lay Brown Eggs?
Many breeds of chicken lay brown eggs, the most popular include, White Plymouth Rocks, Black Australorps, Barred Plymouth Rocks, Single Comb Rhode Island Whites, Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshires, Welsummers, Buff Orpingtons, and hybrids like Bovan Browns, Hy-line Browns and Lohmann Browns.
Are White Eggs Better?
Whether eggs are brown, white, blue or even green has no bearing on their quality and more importantly it says nothing about the living conditions of the birds that laid them. What is far more important to look for is the label on the egg box. Does it say the eggs are free-range? By looking for the RSPCA Assured logo when buying eggs you can be sure the birds that laid them lived a better life and cared for to higher welfare standards.
Which Chicken Breeds Lay White Eggs?
Dekalb White is the main white egg-laying hen used on the RSPCA Assured farms.
Why Do Brown Eggs Cost More?
Since there is no real difference between brown and white eggs, any variation in price is merely due to production times and supply and demand. The slightly higher cost of brown eggs has no doubt contributed to the myth that they are of higher quality.
Why Are Organic Eggs Brown?
Eggs labelled organic are not necessarily brown. The colour of the eggs is entirely dependent on the breed of hen from which the eggs come and frequently the breeds raised on organic farms are those which lay brown eggs.
Why Do Brown Eggs Cost More?
Since there is no real difference between brown and white eggs, any variation in price is merely due to production times and supply and demand. The slightly higher cost of brown eggs has no doubt contributed to the myth that they are of higher quality.
Are Blue Eggs Safe to Eat?
Yes, blue eggs are perfectly safe to eat. The blue hue is once again simply the pigment in the shell and entirely dependent on the breed of chicken. Breeds that lay blue eggs are the Araucana, Ameraucana, Dongxiang and Lushi. None of these breeds can be found on RSPCA Assured farms as pure breeds but they may be present as crossbreeds.
What Are the Healthiest Eggs to Eat?
The colour of the eggshell does not affect the health value of the egg inside. All eggs are high in protein and relatively low in cholesterol making them a healthy choice when eaten as part of a balanced diet. As you might imagine, chickens’ diets and lifestyles can affect the composition of eggs. Hens with more access to sunlight lay eggs that contain more vitamin D, making free-range eggs higher in vitamin content. Hens fed a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids will produce eggs that contain much higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids.