The Difference Between Brown And White Eggs Can Easily Be Explained By Science

Sciencing ^ | May 09, 2026 | Ing Wei Khor

[Red Badger]

If you've found yourself lingering over egg cartons at the grocery store, wondering about the difference between brown and white eggs, you are not alone. Despite the conventional wisdom about brown eggs being healthier or somehow more "natural" than white ones, the truth is simple. The difference between brown and white eggs comes down to one thing — the breed of chicken that lays the egg.

Brown eggs are laid by chicken breeds such as Rhode Island Red, Speckled Sussex, Black Australorp, Buff Orpington, and Cuckoo Maran, to name a few. These chickens lay eggs in varying shades of brown, ranging from a light brown (Speckled Sussex) to a dark chocolate brown (Cuckoo Maran). White eggs are laid by a variety of Leghorn species (including White Leghorn, Silver Leghorn, and the colorful Blue Breasted Brown Leghorn), as well as Ancona, Silver Lakenvelder, and California White.

Strangely, according to The Guardian, although brown eggs are now considered superior to white ones by many people, a century ago, that wasn't quite the case. In England, people were used to white eggs, which were much more abundant than brown eggs since they were laid by highly productive White Leghorn chickens. The relative scarcity and novelty of brown eggs was what raised their popularity in the mid-20th century.

An egg of any other color would taste the same

Nutritionally, brown and white eggs are the same, with the shell color not having any effect on the nutritional value or taste of what's inside the shell. The truth is, brown eggs (or white eggs) can vary in nutrition and taste depending on the food the chicken consumed, its environment, and the style in which it was raised, regardless of shell color. In general, free-range chickens who are free to roam around backyards tend to produce healthier and more natural eggs than chickens raised in cages or coops.

One reason for this difference is that free-range chickens are more likely to have access to a larger selection of vitamins and minerals. Another factor is sunshine, with chickens exposed to sunlight laying eggs that have 3 to 4 times the amount of vitamin D than caged chickens. The quality of the food consumed by the chickens also affects the nutritional value of the eggs they produce. For example, chickens that eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids lay eggs that contain a higher amount of omega-3 fatty acids. Regardless of whether such healthy supplements are present or not, eggs (or at least egg yolks) should still be consumed in moderation because of their high cholesterol content –one of the things that scientists know about cholesterol that you didn't (until now). 

How eggs acquire color during development

Brown eggs acquire their color after ovulation, when the egg is released from the ovary into a tube called the oviduct, which is known as the fallopian tube in humans. At this stage of egg development in chickens, a shell forms over the egg and pigments are deposited in the shell. Brown and pink eggshell colors derive from a pigment called protoporphyrin IX, with the amount of this pigment determining the intensity of the brown color. The more protoporphyrin IX that gets deposited in the eggshell, the browner the egg. On the other hand, the less protoporphyrin IX, the pinker the egg. That's why different brown egg-laying chicken breeds lay different shades of brown eggs and why there is a range of colors even among chickens of the same breed.

Another eggshell color that is becoming increasingly prized is blue, which is caused by pigments called biliverdin IX and zinc biliverdin chelate. The amount of these pigments deposited in the shell determine the shade of blue, with more pigment resulting in a bluer egg. If no pigment is deposited during shell formation, the eggs will remain white.

According to a study in the journal Animal, eggshell color is passed down between generations and is controlled by multiple genes, with each gene contributing some effect. The way in which eggshell color is inherited in chickens is similar to how some human physical characteristics are passed down from parents to their children. Scientists have identified several genes that control the production of protoporphyrin IX on chromosome 20, as well as genes that control the production of other pigments. With that information, some day soon, farmers may be able to breed chickens that lay eggs of a specific color and shade.

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TOPICS: Agriculture; Food; Health/Medicine; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: eggs

[cpdiii]

I do not care what the color of the egg is. Free Range chicken eggs taste better due to what they eat. Pay a buck more for a dozen eggs and get superior taste is not a bad deal.

[Fresh Wind]

You mentioned Guinea hens. In my family, anyone with a birthday could specify the food for the birthday dinner. One year, my mom’s sister said she wanted a Guinea hen for dinner. So she showed up with a live bird in her car trunk and my mom didn’t know what to do with it, but she knew a local farmer. He solved the problem with a hatchet and a tree stump. The headless bird ran around for a while, still squawking. I was a kid then, and I got to watch the entire event, I found it fascinating, but my mom refused to watch!

[dayglored]

> Araucana chickens primarily lay eggs that are blue or blue-green, a color caused by the pigment oocyanin which is deposited throughout the shell during formation. While pure Araucanas are known for this distinct blue hue, the specific shade can vary between birds, ranging from very light blue to green or even khaki.

I raised Araucanas a few decades ago, had a flock of about a dozen hens and a couple of roosters. They lived in the backyard, had their own open coop, and liked to roost in the nearby trees.

The eggs were a little smaller than store-bought. Colors varied blue, blue-green, green, occasionally a tannish blue-green. But the yokes were awesome, robust orange. And the taste was superb.

The roosters were gorgeous plumage, irridescent dark multi-hues. And mean, with huge long shin talons. They'd attack me sometimes, but they only drew blood once or twice that I recall.

Cool birds.

[Hot Tabasco]

I eat two eggs for breakfast every morning and I found that the shells of the brown eggs are much thicker.

[Psalm 73]

We have five Speckled Sussex living in a coop with a very large, protected run.

They only free-range when we are outside with them. They have great personalities and their eggs are fantastic-tasting light brown.

Lots of fun and a nice protein reserve if the SHTF.

[Theodore R.]

I’ve been buying white eggs as they are a little cheaper than brown ones. However, the difference in price is not substantial.

[redinIllinois]

.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“That’s why different brown egg-laying chicken breeds lay different shades of brown eggs and why there is a range of colors even among chickens of the same breed. “

Very true. We have Buff Orpington and Barred Rock, both brown egg layers, but we get a whole range of pink to a deeper brown color. Sometimes speckled.

I would love to have some Barnevelder chickens; they lay shiny dark brown eggs, chocolate-looking.

I’ve had the ‘Easter Eggers’ in the past that lay all the pastel colors. Always pretty.

[PIF]

With brown eggs its easier to pick the little bits of shell out of your egg salad.

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Egg shell in the egg salad? Throw it in the garbage and fire the cook.

[USS Alaska]

I’ve heard that egg color is determined by what they eat and where they live

It's the breed of the chicken, I started keeping chickens at age 10, had both Rhode Island Reds and Leghorns kept on separate sides of the coop and the yard. The reds were better egg producers and had better meat so I did away with the leghorns.

I'm not sure about the taste, we were always happy to have food, so I never remember judging a taste preference.

[ckilmer]

You want the ones that say Pasteur raise

[Ex-Con777]

> With brown eggs its easier to pick the little bits of shell out of your egg salad.<

TRUTH!!!

The last dozen eggs I hard boiled for deviled eggs had much more white and less yolk. My wife was pleased. I never noticed that before.

EC

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Is it possible she wanted Cornish hen? (That would be funny!) How did the guinea hen taste?

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Thanks! I knew someone would had more information on them! (I think I remember seeing ads for them in Organic Gardening Magazine.)

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