On the other hand, the lighter yellow yolks will usually be from hens fed an all-grain diet.Īs for the nutrients? The protein and fat will often remain the same regardless of yolk color, but there can be up to a 100-fold increase in micronutrient value of certain antioxidant carotenoids like lutein and beta-carotene in yolks fed a more nutrient-dense diet (like in pasture-raised hens), according to a 2010 study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. Because free-range hens can eat more pigmented, nutritious foods that range from insects to grasses, they will often have richer-colored yolks.
What gives? Well, egg yolks will range in color based on what the hens ate. One day you crack open an egg and it's a deep orange. And that increase in cost per egg gets passed onto consumers.īlue: So you know about white and brown eggs, but what's the deal with blue eggs? These are also from different breeds of chickens, and there's an interesting story behind the origin of the blue color: A study published in the journal PLoS ONE found that over 500 years ago, an ancient virus in native South American chickens resulted in a genetic mutation that triggered an accumulation of a pigment known as biliverdin, which ultimately caused the chickens to produce blue and green eggs. Bigger hens mean more food, which means farmers have to spend more on feed. These eggs usually cost more because the hens that lay them are physically bigger breeds than the chickens which lay white eggs. Fun fact: All eggs start out white in their development.īrown: Although brown eggs are typically more expensive compared to white eggs, it has nothing to do with their quality. White: This is the standard color egg you'll find most commonly in grocery stores. The thickness of an egg solely depends on the age of the chicken: younger chickens lay eggs with harder shells and older chickens lay eggs with thinner shells, regardless of the breed. It's also a misconception that brown eggs have thicker shells.
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