You may be familiar with “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss. Maybe as a kid, you’ve wanted to try green eggs just like Sam. And now, as an adult, perhaps you’re wondering — Do green eggs really exist? What would make them that color? Do they taste different? Are they more nutritious than a white or brown egg? Does a green egg come from a green chicken?
While green eggs really do exist, they don’t come from green hens. And there’s plenty of other colored eggs that chickens lay outside of the traditional white and brown, like blue! Ready to learn more about the different kinds of eggshell colors and why some eggshells have different colors, as well as how to reuse eggshells throughout your garden and home? Keep reading!
Before we get into different colors of eggs, let’s take a look at what makes up an eggshell.
An eggshell is made of calcium carbonate, which comes mostly from a hen’s bones. Calcium carbonate makes up nine to 12 percent of an egg’s total weight. The shell has seven to 17,000 tiny pores that allow air and moisture to move through. The outermost layer, called the bloom or cuticle, helps keep out dirt and bacteria.
So, how do eggs form? And what determines their colors? It’s a four-step, 24- to 26-hour process:
While a chicken’s breed plays a significant role in the color of their eggs, the following two pigments also play a part:
Not all eggs have the same pigmentation, however. Some are more of a darker green or a lighter brown. Why? A few factors can affect how much pigment a hen deposits on her eggs, including:
Overall, a hen’s genes influence the color of her eggs.
While white and brown eggs may dominate the supermarket aisles, there are a few other egg colors that hens can lay, including:
White is the most in-demand eggshell color in America. Christopher Columbus is believed to have brought the most famous white-egg — the Single-Comb White Leghorn — to America in 1493. It’s thought that Leghorns originated in Italy.
An interesting fact is that all eggs start out with white shells, no matter the breed of hen. So, next time you hold a blue egg in your hand, realize that it was a pigmentation process that made it that way, because at its earliest stage it was white — like a blank canvas.
What’s a brown egg? Another popular eggshell color choice in America. In fact, New Englanders prefer brown eggs over white. When it comes to nutrition and taste, however, they aren’t any different than white eggs.
During the third stage of the egg-laying process, the hen applies a brown pigment to the eggshell. The pigmentation doesn’t pass through the shell though, as the inside of your eggshell stays white. Again, showing off that all eggs start with a white slate.
Some brown eggs appear to be a shade of orange because of color intensity. Breed, age and stress levels affect the tone and the depth of color. For example, a young hen might lay darker eggs than a more mature hen. Some breeds lay light-colored eggs that might look pink or rosy, while others develop eggs as dark as chocolate.
What’s a blue egg? Not an Easter Egg creation! This colored eggshell is becoming more popular among consumers, with its soft-blue marshmallow coloring. Oocyanin, a byproduct of bile production, creates this beautiful color among select breeds of chickens.
Unlike brown eggs, the bluish tint appears early in the egg-forming process. Because the pigment reaches the egg during an early stage, it colors the interior of the eggshell blue too! Therefore, you can expect a blue-shelled egg to be a beautiful blue throughout.
What’s a green egg? The result of crossbreeding genes from blue eggshells with genes from brown eggshells. These festive-colored eggs are green on the outside and blue on the inside. Only a few chicken breeds can produce this colored eggshell, which makes them a rarer find.
With brown, green, blue and white eggs available, why do most of us only eat brown or white eggs? The reason is that brown and white eggs tend to cost less than blue and green ones. They’re also easier to obtain and usually come from chickens that are known as good egg layers. Plus, they’ve become a part of our kitchen and idea of what eggs should look like.
Throughout history, chickens have been an integral part of human existence. From ancient civilizations to modern times, chickens are considered sacred animals to some, while to others, they are a blank culinary canvas. Their eggs are no exception.
We cannot trace back the exact start date of egg consumption, but history points to the domestication of wildfowl in 3200 B.C. Historians also believe that the fowl were eaten more than their eggs, as the eggs were used to hatch and continue the supply of birds. Egyptian and Chinese records show that birds were laying eggs for humans beginning in 1400 B.C.
So, what are the different breeds that produce colorful eggs? Let’s take a look:
Remember Foghorn J. Leghorn from Looney Tunes? This breed is the most common white-egg laying chicken in the United States. Originally from Italy and the Mediterranean, Leghorns arrived at the U.S. in the 1800s. The White Leghorn is also the most popular type of leghorn chicken and is the leading egg-producer in the world. They do not possess any pigment genes, which is why their eggs are white!
Leghorns can lay anywhere from 150-300 eggs a year. In general, white egg-layers don’t make as good as pets as other breeds because they tend to be nervous. However, their smaller appetites and high egg-laying rate make them the most popular choice for farmers and are a big reason why they are the most common egg color in supermarkets.
Other white egg-layers include:
If you’re wondering what breed lays your white eggs, it’s a safe bet that they’re Leghorns.
Brown egg-layers are popular breeds for backyard chicken raising, as well as farmers. These dark-feathered birds are calm, plus lay eggs all year-long. Breeds in this category possess the brown pigment gene, protoporphyrin IX, and traces of biliverdin. Eggshell colors can range from a pinkish-brown to a dark chocolate color.
Massachusetts and Rhode Island developed Rhode Island Reds in the early 1800s. Rhode Island Reds are excellent egg-producers. They can lay around 200 to 300 eggs a year. New Hampshire Reds, recognized by the American Poultry Association (APA) in 1935, is a breed that’s separate from Rhode Island Reds.
A few other known brown-egg-laying breeds include:
So, who produces the most brown eggs for supermarkets? Rhode Island Reds are a safe bet.
Blue egg-layers typically have red earlobes, just like brown egg-layers, and their feathers can be a range of colors depending on their genes. Breeds in this category lay blue or green tinted eggs because of the pigment biliverdin, which hen’s deposit early in the egg-making process.
While it’s uncommon to find blue eggs in grocery stores, several breeds lay them, including:
What do you do if you’re interested in trying a blue egg? Try a local farmer’s market.
When it comes to the different eggshell colors available, green eggs are perhaps the rarest. Only a few breeds lay green eggs, and many of them are newer to the chicken world as they’re crosses between top egg layers, like Leghorns and Ameraucanas.
The three breeds that produce green eggs include:
While hard to find, the good news about green eggs is they’re the same as white, brown or even blue ones.
It’s a common myth that the differences in an eggshell’s color lead to differences in nutritional values. When it comes to cholesterol, calorie and protein values, every egg is the same. The only times these values change is when the egg size differs. A jumbo egg, for instance, is going to have more calories and protein than a small one.
Eggshell color is also unrelated to your egg yolk’s appearance or taste. Diet plays the most significant influence. In fact, a farmer in Santa Fe, Arizona that fed his flock leftover red chiles saw their yolks transition into a sunset-red color. Corn, whether white or yellow, can also cause egg yolks to have a paler or brighter yellow color.
No matter what egg you choose, whether it’s a dozen white, green, brown or blue jumbo eggs, you can trust they’re providing the same nutrition that you need in your diet. What’s egg-cellent about eggs is they’re
compact sources of nourishment.
Eggs are a compact source of nutrition that’s perfect for breakfast, lunch and even dinner — and even hens will agree, trust us, we know from experience. Benefits of having some fried eggs, deviled eggs or a veggie and egg stir-fry, include:
With the average large egg providing six grams of protein, starting your day with an egg is an excellent start as men need about 56 grams of protein a day, while women require around 46 grams. Children need 19 to 34 grams of protein each day. Eggs have a lot of protein punch without the high fat and calories of high-protein snacks like nuts and cheese. For better health for you and your family — enjoy more eggs!
You may be wondering which eggs to buy now that you know that eggshell color doesn’t make a difference. If you want to make sure that you and your family you get the most nutrition, there are a few things you’ll want to look for when purchasing eggs.
Check for these qualities next time you pick up eggs from your local farmer or grocery store:
While blue and green eggs are hard to come by, you can still fill your basket with a rainbow of colors. And instead of trekking to an Araucana nest in South America, all you have to do is visit your local grocery store and pick up some white or brown eggs.
With some natural dye, you can spice up your Easter Egg hunt, as well as liven up your morning breakfast of hard-boiled eggs, all while saving yourself the trouble of finding real blue or green eggs. After all, the nutritional value is the same, whether a French Maron, Rhode Island Red or Leghorn lays the egg.
Here’s how to make some natural, safe food dyes for your eggs:
With dyed eggs, every time your family opens the fridge they’ll feel excited to crack open one of these pretty jewels and eat a healthy egg.
If you’ve come across a blue or green egg, it’s understandable to want them to go somewhere other than the trash. Whether you have white, brown, blue or green eggs in your household, you can reuse them for other purposes.
Some uses of eggshells include:
Are you raising chickens? You can feed their eggshells back to them — it’s good for them! Hens need an adequate amount of calcium to produce healthy eggs, and eggshells are an excellent source of calcium. They also contain small amounts of sodium, potassium and magnesium.
Here’s how to mix eggshells into your chicken feed:
You can also let your girls have their eggshells plain. In fact, many hens go a bit hog-wild for them.
No chickens? That’s ok because you can eat your eggshells instead — not as-is, of course. What you’ll want to make is an eggshell powder. You can consume this powder however you wish, although you may like adding it to your favorite dishes, as they don’t change the flavor of your meal, but the texture.
The benefit of consuming eggshells is they give you an extra calcium boost. A study published in the International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition found that the shell of one egg contains about two grams of calcium, which is twice the daily requirement for adults. Spread eggshell powder from a single egg throughout the week, and you’ll be good to go.
Here’s how to prepare your nutritional eggshell powder:
Browse Pinterest and Instagram, and you’ll find plenty of craft projects that incorporate not only eggs but also eggshells. Meaning, if you’re not interested in eating powdered eggshells or are without chickens, you still have some recycling options!
Here are a few fun ideas to experiment with in your downtime or to pass a rainy afternoon with the kids:
With eggshells, there are plenty of ways to use them in a craft project.
Eggshells not only give animals calcium but also plants too. Mixing eggshells with soil at the bottom of a hole will help new plants grow. Your tomato plants will especially love you for it. You can also help existing plants by mixing the eggshells into the soil during the fall and spring.
Next time you crack an egg and get ready to trash the shell, just remember — there are lots of ways to reuse it.
The United States produces 75 billion eggs a year, which is about 10 percent of the world’s eggs. Consumers use 60 percent of these eggs, while the restaurant industry claims nine percent. Products like mayonnaise and cake mix use the remaining eggs. Americans love eggs, and for a good reason. They’re healthy for us, as well as delicious and egg-cellent for a range of meals. Their variety of eggshell colors also makes them nature’s work of art.
If you’re looking for an egg supplier you can trust, look no further. For more than 80 years and three generations, our family at Sauder’s Eggs has been serving fresh and delicious eggs from our home to yours. Whether you’re a lover of red beet, hard boiled or organic eggs, you can count on our family to deliver the large, golden brown eggs your family’s looking for to start their home-cooked morning, lunch or dinner.
And you can rest assured that we care about our hens. We work with all our farmers, who we’ve partnered with for generations, to make sure our hens are safe, healthy and happy. To our family, a healthy hen means a healthy egg, which is why all Sauder Egg’s contain the United Egg Producers Certified Seal and Mark of Excellence that ensures your eggs come from the happiest of hens.
To grab a fresh dozen of eggs, locate one of our stores or contact us!
This post was last modified on June 21, 2022
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