why are some eggs brown and some white

Some eggs are brown and some are white mainly because of the hen’s breed and genetics, not because of big differences in nutrition or taste.

Why Are Some Eggs Brown And Some White?

The Core Reason: Genetics

• Eggshell color is determined by the hen’s genetics and breed.

• Hens with white earlobes usually lay white eggs, while hens with red earlobes usually lay brown eggs.

• All eggs start out with a white shell made of calcium carbonate; pigments are added late in shell formation to change the color.

Think of it like hair color in humans: brown vs blond doesn’t make your hair “healthier,” it’s just what your genes code for.

What Makes Eggs Brown, White… Or Blue?

• White eggs: No pigment is added to the shell, so the natural white calcium carbonate shows.

• Brown eggs: A pigment called protoporphyrin (derived from heme, the red compound in blood) is deposited on the outside of the shell.

• Blue/green eggs: Some breeds (like Ameraucana or Araucana) add a blue pigment called oocyanin , which tints both the outside and the inside of the shell.

• Olive/greenish eggs: Result from crossing a blue-egg breed with a brown-egg breed; brown pigment laid over a blue shell makes it look green.

If you crack a brown egg and look at the inside, it’s usually white because the brown pigment sits mainly on the shell’s outer layers.

Brown vs White: Is There A Difference?

Nutrition and Health

• Nutritionally, brown and white eggs are essentially the same : similar protein, vitamins, and minerals.

• Shell color does not make one egg inherently healthier or more “natural” than the other.

People often assume brown eggs are more wholesome, but that’s a marketing and cultural thing, not a biology thing.

Taste and Cooking

• Taste mainly depends on the hen’s diet, freshness, and how you cook the egg, not shell color.

• A fresh white egg and a fresh brown egg from hens raised similarly will taste the same to most people.

Why Brown Eggs Sometimes Cost More

• Brown eggs often come from breeds that are slightly larger and eat more feed, so they can cost more to produce.

• In some markets (like parts of the US), white eggs are common and cheaper; in others (like the UK), brown eggs are standard and white eggs are rare or seen as “special.”

So the higher price you sometimes see for brown eggs is mostly about farming economics and consumer preference, not better nutrition.

Other Factors That Change the Shade

These don’t change white to brown or brown to blue, but they can tweak how dark or light the shell looks:

• Hen’s age: Older brown-egg hens tend to lay larger but paler eggs.

• Diet: Quality and type of feed can deepen or lighten the pigment slightly.

• Environment and stress: Heat, crowding, or stress can make the color less intense or more uneven.

You might see speckled or slightly streaky shells; those variations are normal and sometimes even mean a slightly stronger shell.

Mini Story: The Grocery Aisle Myth

“Brown is for health nuts, white is for cheap breakfasts.”

That’s basically the story many shoppers have in their heads. In the last few years, social media and forums keep cycling the same debate: “Are brown eggs actually healthier?” or “Are white eggs bleached?”

• No, white eggs are not bleached; they’re laid white.

• No, brown eggs are not automatically organic or free-range; that depends on the farm, not the shell color.

The real things to watch on a carton are labels like “free-range,” “pasture- raised,” “omega-3 enriched,” and the packing date , not whether the shell is brown or white.

Simple Takeaways (Numbered)

1. Shell color comes from the hen’s genetics and breed.

2. White eggs stay white because no pigment is added; brown eggs get a brown pigment, blue eggs get a blue pigment.

3. Nutrition and taste are basically the same between brown and white eggs when hens live and eat similarly.

4. Price differences are usually about feed costs and marketing, not health.

5. If you care about “better” eggs, look at freshness and how the hens were raised—not just the shell color.

Mini FAQ

• Are brown eggs healthier?
  No. Shell color doesn’t change nutrition; farming practices and diet do.

• Do brown eggs taste richer?
  Any taste difference comes from hen diet and freshness, not the shell color.

• Why is the inside of a brown shell white?
  The brown pigment is mainly on the outside; the base shell is still white calcium carbonate.

• Why do some eggs look pale or speckled?
  Age, diet, environment, and minor shell quirks can change shade or add speckles without changing the underlying color.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.