What is Brown Egg?
Egg color is believed to be determined by different factors. These factors are mainly genetic and sometimes environmental, including the feeding habits of the chicken. Brown eggs are believed to be produced by chickens with brown or red feathers. Brown eggs are naturally considered to be healthier than white eggs. However, this is a myth.
Brown eggs are more expensive to produce as the chicken that lay them are bigger. This means that it takes more feeds to breed the chicken to maturity. This makes brown eggs more expensive in the market than white eggs.
It is believed that brown eggs are tastier and have more proteins. Contrary to this belief, brown eggs contain negligibly higher omega-3 fatty acids, contributing very little to their taste. Many egg types, including pasture-raised and free-range eggs, are brown. As a result, it is believed that these eggs come from better-fed chicken; hence they are sweeter and with a thick yellow York.
Scientifically, it is evident that eggshell color has no impact on the egg’s nutritional value. If raised under similar conditions, it is impossible to tell the difference between a white and a brown egg.
What is White Egg?
A white egg is an egg whose shell or exterior color is white. White eggs, like brown eggs, depending on genetics and feeding habits. Therefore, white eggs are produced mainly by chickens with white feathers. Generally, white eggs are cheaper than brown eggs, mainly believed to be due to mythical beliefs that brown eggs are more nutritious than white eggs.
It is believed that some chickens lay brown eggs, but their eggs become lighter in color as they age. The chicken’s diet, environment, and stress levels are the critical determinants of the eggs shell color.
Leghorns are the breed of chicken associated with laying white eggs. Raising leghorns is cheaper and less strenuous because they use fewer feeds. All egg shells are white at the beginning of the formation process. However, as they continue to grow and are near laying, some adopt the brown pigment while the rest retain the white pigmentation.
Egg shells are only brown on the outside because after breaking the shells of both white and brown eggs, their inside is white.
Difference Between Brown and White Egg
- There is a negligible difference in the nutritional value, with brown eggs believed to be more nutritious.
- The color of the eggs shells is the main difference between eggs, with some being brown while others are white.
- The breeds of chicken that lay white eggs are mostly leghorns, while those that lay brown eggs are barred rock and Delaware, among others.
- Brown eggs are expensive due to the cost of breeding the chicken as compared to white eggs, which are cheaper.
- Brown eggs are believed to be more natural due to the feeds the chicken eats; hence they are mostly referred to as free-range eggs.
Comparison Table Between Brown and White Egg
| Parameter of Comparison | Brown Egg | White Egg |
| Nutritional Value | Considered to be more nutritious but negligibly | Believed to be less nutritious |
| Breed | Mostly Barred and Delaware are believed to lay brown eggs. | Leghorns are believed to lay white eggs. |
| Cost | They are brown because they are laid by a colored chicken. | They are laid by a white chicken. |
| Color | Raised mostly naturally | Not necessarily natural |
References
- Anderson, Kenneth E. “Comparison of fatty acid, cholesterol, vitamin A and E composition, and trans fats in eggs from brown and white egg strains that were molted or nonmolted.” Poultry Science 92.12 (2013): 3259-3265.
- Curtis, P. A., F. A. Gardner, and D. B. Mellor. “A Comparison of Selected Quality and Compositional Characteristics of Brown and White Shell Eggs: I. Shell Quality.” Poultry Science 64.2 (1985): 297-301.