What Kind of Chickens Lay Brown Eggs

Have you ever wondered what kind of chickens lay brown eggs? Although white and brown eggs are available at your grocery store, you'll pay more for the brown kind. Although you may think that organic chickens produce brown eggs, the truth may surprise you.

What Kind Of Chickens Lay Brown Eggs On The Farm

White and brown eggs-they sit on the shelf next to each other in the grocery store, as different as night and day. Or are they? Here's the straight story on why chicken eggs are different colors and who's responsible for those brown eggs in your grocer's cooler:

• I heard that! Even if you can't tell a Leghorn from a Red, you can still tell what color egg a chicken will produce. Take a good look at the chicken, paying particular attention to the color of the feathers around the bird's head. The color of the eggshell will closely match the color of the feathers around a chicken's ears-you can't make this stuff up!
• Who does what. Particular breeds of chicken produce specific egg colors. Want white eggs? Then you'll want eggs from a White Leghorn. A fan of brown eggs? Then look for eggs from a Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire or Plymouth Rock chicken. Want more choices? A special breed called the Aracuna lays eggs that range from turquoise to olive green.
• What's the difference? According to an industry group called the Egg Nutrition Center, there is no difference in either taste or nutrition between brown and white eggs. In theory, brown egg chicken breeds are larger and require more feed, thus adding to the cost of brown eggs.
• In days of yore. Before the days of large-scale commercial egg production, most backyard chickens were of breeds that produced brown eggs. This may lead consumers to believe that brown eggs have some benefit over white eggs. In truth, today's chickens are fed the same feed regardless of breed, making the eggs they produce virtually identical.