The color of the egg is determined by the genetics of the breed of chicken, and the pigment that the chicken deposits into the shell during the last few hour of shell production produces the color. Each breed of chicken contain the specific pigments that cause there eggs to be of a certain color. For instance, breed like Leghorns naturaly produce white eggs, leading to there extensive use in commercial farming operation.
Breeds like Buff Orpingtons produce cream-colored eggs, and people consider the eggs to have an artisanal appearance. Brown eggs are naturaly produced by many hardy breeds, such as Rhode Island Reds. The Marans breed naturally produces dark brown eggs, which are often sought after due to there dark color.
Why Chickens Lay Different Colored Eggs
Breeds like blue chickens naturally produce eggs that contain the oocyanin pigment, which coat the entire eggshell and colors the egg blue. Finally, breeds whose eggs contain olive-colored shells naturally contain both blue and brown pigment within there shells, as these two color naturally blend to create an olive color for the egg shell. When choosing a breed of chicken to acquire for the egg production, you should consider the color of the eggs that are produced in relation to the productivity and temperament of the breed.
For instance, Leghorn breeds are among the most prolific in relation to the number of white eggs that they produces, and are often recommended for beginner chicken farmer due to their ability to produce eggs even during periods of stress or short days. Buff Orpington breeds produce cream colored eggs, but are also known for their docile temperament that make them suitable for those with young children or limited space for the chickens to roam. The Marans breed produces dark brown eggs, but may lay fewer egg than other breeds of chickens due to the energy required for the darkly colored shells.
Additionally, a general understanding of the productivity of chickens of different breeds should indicate that breeds that lay the highest volume of eggs tend to produce lighter color, while breeds that produce fewer eggs tend to have darker shell colors. For example, Leghorns can produce more than 280 white eggs per year, but Marans can only produce between 150 to 200 dark brown eggs per year. Certain breeds of chickens will produce blue or green eggs.
Araucanas are one of the breed of chickens that will produce blue eggs. Ameraucanas are another breed of chicken that produces blue eggs but lay more eggs than Araucanas. Easter Eggers may not be a pure breed of chicken but they are a crossbreed that will lay blue or green eggs as well as pastel shade.
However, because Easter Eggers are crossbreeds, the color of their eggs may change from day to day. Olive Eggers are bred with both blue egg genetics and genetics from dark brown layer breed. These chickens will lay eggs with olive colors.
By using certain physical characteristic of the chicken you can usually determine what color eggs that breed will lay. Chickens with white ear lobes will lay white eggs. Chickens with red ear lobes will lay brown or tinted eggs.
The color of the eggs may change from time to time and the eggs are the darkest color when the chicken lay them at the beginning of the laying cycle. If the eggs contain speckles like Welsummer eggs, the speckles are part of the bloom on the egg and can be wiped off of the shell. By building your flock of chickens you may want to ensure that you have a balance of breeds that will lay eggs of different color.
Your flock can include chickens that lay white eggs, brown eggs, and blue or olive eggs. The color of the eggs will not change the taste of the eggs. The flavor of the eggs is dependent upon the nutrition that you provide to the laying chickens.
If you feed the laying hens greens and insects there yolk will change color but the color of the eggs will not change. However, if you choose your breeds based off the needs that you have for your eggs and the space available in your coop, then you can always find the right breed for your situation. You should of considered the coop size first.