Photo: Laurie Plater
Have you ever purchased eggs directly from a farmer? If so, you know that it’s always a bit of a surprise. The eggs vary in size and shape, some are covered in speckles, while others have a bumpy texture. But, the most unique quality of farm eggs is their colour. They can range from pastel pinks, to mocha browns, to blue and green jewel tones. The colours are dictated by the breed of chicken laying the eggs. Each egg starts out being white, but by the time it makes the 26 hour voyage through the oviduct of a chicken, a transformation occurs. Different breeds excrete different pigments that influence the colour of an egg’s shell. Here's a list of some of the more popular laying chickens and their egg colours:
White - Leghorn / Andalusians / Anconas
Cream/Pink - Mottled Javas / Australorps / Silkies
Brown - Orpington / Barred Rock / Sussex
Dark Brown - Welsummers / Barnevelders / Marans
Blue - Ameraucanas / Auracanas / Cream Legbars
Green - Olive Eggers / Isbars / Favaucanas
Regardless of the eggshell colour, all eggs are the same inside. Also, the colour has no impact on the taste – that is determined by the freshness of the eggs and the chicken’s diet. Throughout their entire lives, hens will lay the same coloured eggs.