Brown Eggs vs. White Eggs – Difference Between Brown And White Eggs

Wondering whether there is any difference between brown eggs and white eggs? Don’t worry. Plenty of people are in exactly the same boat as you. The problem is that there are a lot of myths going around when it comes to egg coloring. We wanted to clear a few things up on this page. Bear in mind that we are only going to be discussing brown eggs vs white eggs on this page.

We are aware that there are plenty more colors available than this (blue, for example like the eggs of Araucana and Ameraucana chicken), but that is fine.

All of the information on this page will be applicable no matter what color egg you are faced with.

The information is not going to be changing. It is just that you are more likely to encounter brown and white eggs, so we made the decision to purely focus on those.

Difference Between Brown And White Eggs
Brown Eggs vs White Eggs

What is the Difference Between Brown And White Eggs?

We are going to come right out and say it. There is absolutely no difference between brown and white eggs, other than the color, of course!

If you gave one white egg laying breed and a brown egg laying breed the same diet, there would be no difference between the taste of the two eggs.

It doesn’t matter what the color of the shell is, the insides stay exactly the same. Chickens don’t magically change up their reproductive system. It functions in exactly the same way.

We think the only time that any sort of thing will play into the egg color is when it comes to the size of the egg.

Are Brown Eggs Healthier Than White Eggs? – Brown Eggs vs White Eggs

We do not know why, but there is a myth around this, and many people believe that brown eggs are healthier than white eggs. However, there will be no difference between the nutrition of the two eggs. Absolutely none.

Generally speaking, you will find that most of the chickens that lay brown eggs will lay larger eggs than their white egg-producing counterparts.

Obviously, this is not always going to be the case, but because brown egg breeds tend to be a bit bigger, their eggs are going to be a touch bigger as a result. It is unlikely that this is going to have that much of an impact on flavorings.

Although, of course, if an egg is bigger, it is likely to have more nutrients packed into it. Not a massive difference, but a difference nonetheless. In most eggs, the yolk size won’t really change all that much, and that is where most of the nutrients are actually going to be.

Why Do Chicken Lay Different Colored Eggs? – Brown vs White Eggs

Chickens lay different colored eggs due to the pigment that the chicken breed produces. The shell’s color is the only difference between brown and white eggs (as we said, there are way more colors than brown and white).

The ‘hard and fast‘ rule is that if a chicken has white feathers, then it is going to lay white eggs. If it has reddish feathers, or something a bit darker, then their eggs are going to err a little bit towards the darker color side.

Brown Eggs vs White Eggs - Difference Between Brown And White Eggs
Brown Eggs vs White Eggs

Obviously, this is not a rule that is always going to apply. If you want to find out the color eggs that chickens will lay, then it is always worth looking at a profile for their breed. But, for the most part, this information is correct.

Read more about each breed of chicken to find out the color of the eggs that they will lay.

Do Brown Eggs Taste Different Than White Eggs

Brown eggs do not taste different than the white eggs. Although, there are some people who swear that they can taste the difference when it comes to brown eggs vs white eggs. However, as we said, there is no difference between brown and white eggs other than the color.

While it is unlikely that you are going to be chowing down on the shell of an egg any time soon (seriously, don’t. It does taste horrible), we are willing to bet that you wouldn’t taste the difference between brown eggs and white eggs shell of any of the colors.

When somebody does say that they can taste the difference, then it is likely that the chickens were raised in a completely different way. This can also impact the nutritional content of the egg.

This is part of the reason as to why chickens which are left to their own devices free range will often have darker, creamier egg yolks.

If you leave your chickens to free roam, then their eggs will be richer tasting than a battery hen’s eggs.

This is because they are taking in fat and protein from insects they have pecked away at. If you can give them a bit of extra fat and protein into their diet, then you will always find that eggs taste a lot better.

What Can Influence the Taste of the Egg?

Brown vs White Eggs - Difference Between Brown And White Eggs

Stress levels and the age of a chicken can have a huge impact on the way that an egg tastes.

As a chicken gets older, you may find that the taste of their eggs becomes a little bit less strong. In fact, you may find that some of the brown egg-laying hens start to lay eggs that are closer to white. This is due to a dwindling amount of pigment they can use to color the shells of the eggs.

Eggs do become far richer in taste when the chickens are enjoying a more robust diet. You should never be feeding your chickens a purely vegetarian diet (chickens should eat meat too). There isn’t enough fat there. It is the fat that helps the egg gain a little bit of flavor (don’t worry, the increase in fat isn’t suddenly going to make eggs unhealthy!).

If you add more nutrition into their diet i.e. a few vegetables and fruits here and there, then you may be able to jazz up the taste of the eggs a tiny bit. Not too much.

Most of it will be dictated by the fat content in their diet. Although, of course, never give your chickens too much fat. Some backyard chicken owners will tinker around with their chicken’s eggs until they end up with a flavor profile that they like.

You can do the same.

Of course, how you cook the eggs will also have a major impact on their taste, but that is a story for another day!

After all, there are so many ways in which you can cook eggs. You probably have your own preferred methods. Just do not be afraid to experiment. You never know what awesome things you can add to the taste of the eggs!

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