Brown Eggs/White Eggs

[dragnlaw]

CG - although in general the colour of the ear lobs is usually but not always indicative of the egg colour. Also, sometimes it is difficult to even see the lobes. So I still stand by my statement.

Pigment is released on to the shell shortly before the egg is actually laid. Pick up a freshly laid brown egg, one that is still warm from the chicken, and you can rub the brown pigment. I was flabbergasted one morning placing my eggs away in the kitchen to see my fingerprints on an egg!

I kept Black Copper Marans for a while. They lay the darkest eggs, you'd think they were pure Belgium chocolate! Some show breeders in France carefully keep these eggs on cotton so they aren't scratched or marred before the show.

Mine certainly didn't make show quality like these ones but I had fun!

 

[CharlieD]

CharlieD and skilletlicker, do you see significant price differences between the two different egg colors?

Brown ones are significantly more expensive. Can't remember exact numbers. Would have to look next time I'm in a store.

 

[buckytom]

Brown eggs used to be more expensive here, but now they are the same price as whites. Maybe only a few cents difference.
The only division in price here seems to be the ridiculous cage free/free range/organic/daily massage and facial raised eggs.

From what I've learned here, the color of the shell isn't a factor when it comes to the quality of the egg.

And I'm sorry Addie, the color of the shell has nothing to do with its thickness. The color has to do with the breed or bird, the thickness of the shell has to do with the calcium (and other dietary factors) available to the bird at laying time, and the frequency of laying.

We recently found a farm that sells truly free range, free of any additive eggs. The chickens eat what they can find in huge fields with just a little natural supplement. Their eggs are huge (what would be considered jumbos), thick shelled, and the yolks are a rich, deep yellow.

Back on topic, the dozen we bought were 8 brown, 4 white. But they all had the same exact characteristics.

Btw, the FBI now has dragn's fingerprints on file, and have contacted the Mounties with info...

 

[dragnlaw]

Darn Chicken... but she was tasty in the end

 

[Annageckos]

Addie and dragn, I'm calling foul (fowl?) on both of your posts. Addie, the color of the shell does not determine the hardness of the shell. Per The Kitchn: If you've ever noticed that an eggshell seems tougher, it's because of the age of the chicken, and not the color of the egg. Younger chickens tend to lay eggs with harder shells, while older chicken lay eggs with thinner shells. In my time, I've run across some mighty tough white shells.

In that same article, dragn, the breed of the chicken (or the color of the hen's earlobes) is indicative whether they lay brown or white shelled eggs. Whether or not the last few layers of shell are "coated" by the hen's secretions just before laying, it comes out of the bird brown-shelled. And no one is out in the barnyard painting those things as they come out of the bird! There are also breeds that lay blue, green, and speckled eggs. When our kids were little, I would buy green-shelled eggs to serve up along with...ham.

If you want to read even more about brown hued egg shells, there is a lengthy article from a chicken momma: Which chickens lay brown eggs?

Actually earlobe color does not indicate egg color. True that many/most chicken breeds with white ear lobed birds will lay white eggs, and red ear lobed birds will lay brown eggs it's not always the case. Then you have green or blue egg layers. A mixed breed bird may have red ear lobes but lay white eggs, or vise versa.

 

[Cheryl J]

Before reading this thread, I never even knew that chickens have earlobes. Shows how much I've been around the little feathered darlins!

 

[Andy M.]

I spoke to the store director while doing ur weekly shopping. He surmised the pricing was due to a glut of white eggs. He said he'd ask headquarters for an answer.

A while ago, there was a price hike for eggs because a lot of chickens had to be killed as disease carriers. Perhaps they were replaced with a different breed or different supply chains were created that have more white eggs.

 

[dragnlaw]

Thank you Anna! and BTW, Welcome to DC!

Is that an albino ferret or something from the weasel family? (in your avatar)

Andy, I'm not sure but I believe the simple answer is that "back in the day" when mass egg production began, the breed that was the most prolific egg layer was a white egg laying chicken.

Like everything else, someone jumped on the band wagon and claimed that (by this time the now slightly more rare) 'brown egg' was "tastier", "healthier" and more desirable to the up and coming more affluent society. Ergo more expensive. Rather a simple answer, no?

 

[CWS4322]

Fwiw, the thickness of the age of the hen. All eggs contain the same amou shell. Breed deteemines egg color. Heavy layer breeds average 250+ eggs annually. Price... marketing. People think brown eggs are better 4 you.

 

[Mad Cook]

For several months now, our go to super market has been pushing white-shelled eggs over brown-shelled eggs. For example, this week's flyer has white eggs at $0.69/Doz. while brown eggs are $1.39/Doz. That's double the price!

I know the difference is the type of chickens the eggs come from and that they are no different in flavor.

I assume it's because egg farmers have switched to white egg hens for some reason or other. Around eastern MA, brown eggs have always been prevalent with white eggs just showing up around Easter.

Has anyone in other parts of the country experienced this??

Almost all supermarket eggs are brown now in the UK. Just because they look prettier and those who know no different think they are "better for you". They have the same food value as white ones. Colour of shell depends on breed of chuck, thass orl!

I get my eggs from a lady who keeps "rescued" chickens. Their eggs come as white, brown & greenish blue (quite rare those as far as buying them is concerned. ) They all taste the same.

 

[CakePoet]

My eggs are mixed, yes store bought but both brown and white in one box.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Brown Eggs/White Eggs

Is this the beginning of a Dr. Seuss book?

BROWN EGGS WHITE EGGS
DULL EGGS BRIGHT EGGS

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Where I buy eggs, the white eggs come in generic 1 dozen and 1½ dozen cartons, while the brown eggs come in fancy printed cartons with adjective like ORGANIC, NON-GMO, and CAGE FREE (I have no idea why eggs kept in cages, baskets, or burlap sacks would be any different). I bet the packagers pay more for the fancy egg cartons than they pay for the eggs themselves.

 

[Andy M.]

Is this the beginning of a Dr. Seuss book?

BROWN EGGS WHITE EGGS
DULL EGGS BRIGHT EGGS

I didn't include green eggs as they require the inclusion of a pork product and that's outside the scope of this thread.

 

[Addie]

Is this the beginning of a Dr. Seuss book?

BROWN EGGS WHITE EGGS
DULL EGGS BRIGHT EGGS

Oh Dear!

 

[Addie]

Where I buy eggs, the white eggs come in generic 1 dozen and 1½ dozen cartons, while the brown eggs come in fancy printed cartons with adjective like ORGANIC, NON-GMO, and CAGE FREE (I have no idea why eggs kept in cages, baskets, or burlap sacks would be any different). I bet the packagers pay more for the fancy egg cartons than they pay for the eggs themselves.

Did you take one of those silly lets laugh today pills? I want one. In fact I need one. Thanks for the laughter.

 

[dragnlaw]

Green Eggs are only found under Cabbage Leaves.

No green eggs allowed in the box, it will just attract the fox. (ohh, that's lame)

No green eggs allowed in the carton 'cause the maid don't know how to 'barton'. (aghh.. even lamer!)

 

[larry_stewart]

Since Ive had chickens ( the past 10 + Years), Ive never had to pay much attention in the stores as to the price difference. Mine have always laid either brown or pale blue. The brown layers, in their peak, would lay about 5 eggs a week. The blue would lay about 3 eggs. On occasion, when they stop laying for a few weeks, and we run out , we have to buy from the store. My wife usually buys the eggs, so Im not sure the price difference. But , I think here , the price will vary more on if the chickens are fed organic or free range, than the color of egg laid.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I was thinking about keeping chickens but the city only allows you to keep two, which would result in a lot of eggless breakfasts each week, so why bother? If I want a pet I will get another cat, and if I want a bird for a pet, I will get one that talks. I have always wanted to get a parrot that I can teach to say "Yeah, can you fly?" So every time someone comes up and says to the parrot "Can you talk?..."

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I was thinking about keeping chickens but the city only allows you to keep two, which would result in a lot of eggless breakfasts each week, so why bother? If I want a pet I will get another cat, and if I want a bird for a pet, I will get one that talks. I have always wanted to get a parrot that I can teach to say "Yeah, can you fly?" So every time someone comes up and says to the parrot "Can you talk?..."