It seems like everyone has eggs on the brain these days. Whether it's due to the protein-laden item's rising prices or the ominous bird flu that's affecting poultry, people across the country are asking all the questions when it comes to eggs (like, is it safe to eat them raw or runny these days?). Now it's time to answer the age-old question—is there actually any difference between white and brown eggs?
We spoke to farmer and educator Patrick Muhammad to get a better understanding of how these colored eggs differ from one another.
What Determines The Color Of Eggs?
The color of eggs is simply indicative of the breed of hen it comes from. In commercial egg production, eggs with a white shell typically come from a Leghorn chicken. These are a good chicken for mass production because their diet consists of a cheaper feed, explains Muhammad. "They also mature at a smaller frame than brown egg breeds, maxing out at four to five pounds," he explains. This means they take up less space than their brown egg-producing counterparts.
Brown eggs, on the other hand, typically come from Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, or Barred Rock chickens. These breeds tend to be a bit larger, ranging from five to six pounds in size and requiring more feed in order for consistent egg production. "Due to the cost of feeding these breeds, they become excellent choices for free-ranging and backyard birds, where their diets can be supplemented as they find bugs, grubs, and more during ranging," Muhammad explains.
A frequent myth is that eggshell color is determined by the amount of sun the hens get, where they originate, or what kind of diet they have. In reality, eggshell color solely comes down to breed. And brown and white aren't the only colors out there. "Various chicken breeds lay various colors of eggs, from green to pink, blue, brown, and white," Muhammad tells us. However, most grocery stores simply carry brown and white varieties, mostly due to low consumer awareness of the other colors.
Differences & Cost
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirms there are no inherent nutritional differences between brown and white eggs. Differences in nutrition can occur based on whether the chickens are pasture raised or free-range—or if there are other differences in the chickens' feed. If they are fed the same, there is no nutritional difference, Muhammad explains.
Due to the lower costs of feeding chickens that lay white eggs, the resulting price tag on white eggs will usually be lower than brown eggs, even though there is no distinguishable size difference. "So the next time you are faced with the battle of the stare-down of white vs. brown eggs in the grocery store aisle, the decision could be made based on how much you have already spent on the items in your cart and how much money is left to complete your grocery list," says Muhammad.
