MK says that she is educated every time she reads my blog, so here it is.
The eggs that Stratford sells are brown. As a rule white chickens lay white eggs and brown(ish) chickens lay brown eggs. Now there are many varieties of chickens and it might be hard to tell what color egg a chicken would lay if you saw it walking down the road. For instance we have some white chickens at Stratford, but they lay brown eggs. This is because they are part of a brown breed that has a recessive gene and are white. To tell what color egg a chicken will lay one just needs to look at their ears. The color of a chickens earlobe will closely resemble the color of the outer shell of the egg they lay.
When brown chickens are forming their eggs, the brown pigment is not secreted or applied till the final layers of the shell are formed. It has been compared to that of an ink jet coloring the egg. Which means the brown color can be removed by soaking it in vinegar which dissolves the outer layer of the shell (Chicken Breeds and the Color of their Eggs).
Why are most eggs we buy in a grocery store white? (Excuse me while I step up on my soap box) White chickens are easier to raise in cages and therefore are more cost effective and convenient for the commercial chicken farmer. The chickens that lay brown eggs are larger and eat more, but I would rather be able to see my egg producers roaming healthily across the chicken yard, then have the convenience of cages. I believe that there is also a difference in taste, because free range chickens have access to a healthier and more natural diet of bugs and other things than those who are raised in cages.
However, brown eggs are not healthier than white eggs. I searched many sites on this subject and it's pretty clear that there is not a difference. However, perhaps the way the chickens are raised to produce brown eggs is healthier for the environment. I also came across and blurb that suggested brown eggs promote genetic diversity. Brown chickens are in the minority because of the ease of raising white chickens, by raising the demand for brown eggs, we are protecting the diversity of brown chickens.
Did you know some chickens even lay green or blue eggs? Pretty crazy stuff!!
As always I'll leave you with a brief article to do some reading of your own. Which Came First--Brown Eggs or the White.
Also check out the Egg Nutrition Center for nutritional information about the incredible egg. The delicious, nutritious, affordable fast food.
3 comments:
Wow. I didn't even know chickens had ears, much less earlobes.
Awesome. I learned something new today!
Thanks, Chrissy!
My brother lives in California and they have chickens that lay blue-green eggs and they are pretty cool. I wish I had some to color for Easter because I wonder what it would do the egg coloring. I always like coloring brown eggs because it produces a really rich color. And no worries, when I do color Easter eggs, I either eat them as hard boiled eggs, make egg salad or deviled eggs.
My brother lives in California and they have chickens that lay blue-green eggs and they are pretty cool. I wish I had some to color for Easter because I wonder what it would do the egg coloring. I always like coloring brown eggs because it produces a really rich color. And no worries, when I do color Easter eggs, I either eat them as hard boiled eggs, make egg salad or deviled eggs.
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