What’s the obsession over egg shell color?

[Carson213]

...don’t they all taste the same?

growing up...i am 41...we always had brown eggs and that was “weird” to my friends. they would question eating an egg that had a brown shell...now it’s common place in the grocery store as if it’s better than a white egg.

What’s the obsession over egg shell color?

 

[Northwest_Wannabe]

Just a guess on my end, brown shelled eggs are kinda "newer" in the mainstream, I think they started coming out around the same time that like better quality eggs (free range, grass fed etc) did, so I think people associate them? I think it might also be like "well they're brown so they're different and better"?

I mean you're right, a store bought egg is gonna taste like a store bought egg, all are trash in comparison to what you get from your own hens, why people are egg snobs between white n brown at stores I'm not sure, hopefully they taste a farm fresh egg one day though!

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

My best friend has an aversion to blue eggs. Like... it's really concerning how concerned she is about blue eggs. People definetly associate colour with taste thinking it makes a difference.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

It all comes down to looks, they all taste the same. But a lot of people love having a rainbow basket, it can give each egg its own personality (sounds stupid I know) in reality there is no difference. So if you don't care about having a rainbow basket then there is no reason to have multiple colors. It can just make an egg basket look so much more fun.

 

[EmmaRainboe]

@TheOddOneOut show them your gorgeous rainbow eggs.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

...don’t they all taste the same?

growing up...i am 41...we always had brown eggs and that was “weird” to my friends. they would question eating an egg that had a brown shell...now it’s common place in the grocery store as if it’s better than a white egg.

What’s the obsession over egg shell color?

who said it was an obsession?

Some of the preference for one color over the other comes down to marketing, for instance over the years brown eggs have been marketed as more natural or more fresh by local producers who were competing with larger white egg producers.

So that message persists with many people, but even people that are “obsessed” with healthy food choices repeat a lot of misinformation that someone along the way has “sold” them on

Some of it is regional, some parts of the world use different breeds of chickens for egg production and that egg color is seen as “normal” while other places have a different “normal” or no “normal”

Speaking personally, my wife thinks the blue or green or pinkish eggs are pretty so that is what we have... but I find it makes the chore of collecting and cleaning the eggs a bit more interesting.

I have noticed that among non-chicken people that we’ve given eggs to, they generally don’t care one way or another about the color of the eggs... but many do seem more “obsessed” over the egg size... even with free eggs

 

[SueT]

All my hens except one lay white or nearly white eggs. I choose my breeds for just about everything BUT egg color!
I've heard that some of the more colorful egg layers are not always as reliable/consistent. If I'm wrong, please correct me.
Here's a fun project I made for the 2020 BYC egg decorating contest, and yes I dyed some of the eggs...

 

[21hens-incharge]

White eggs are easier to candle and remove ones with meat spots or internal defects. It is likely why the grocery stores have mainly white eggs.

As to store eggs all tasting like store eggs, I do not find that to be true.

We eat with our eyes first.
The super cheap eggs are pale and watery. That is unappealing to those who have farm fresh eggs.
I personally have difficulties eating them. Not from the looks but from a physical reaction. I get intense abdominal pain from most store eggs.
I went a decade after moving back into town not eating a single egg. As soon as chickens were made legal here I was on it!
This year my hens are taking a full break. I had to buy eggs. The only ones in the stores here before Thanksgiving were the cheaper eggs. I bought them, made deviled eggs, ate ONE and spent 4 days in pain.
There definitely are differences between eggs of different brands, "free range" vs cage kept.

Going forward I will make certain I have a couple young birds going into every winter.

As to color preferences many people just like all the variety of colors readily available now.

Edited to add: I DID find one brand of store egg I can eat without a reaction. Not cheap at all but certainly superior to other in store eggs.

 

[cooingdove]

All my hens except one lay white or nearly white eggs. I choose my breeds for just about everything BUT egg color!
I've heard that some of the more colorful egg layers are not always as reliable/consistent. If I'm wrong, please correct me.

interesting point I am completely a self identified egg shell color freak!

 

[My2butterflies]

I just like the novelty of it.
I love taking pictures, so different colors mean more fun in taking pictures of the eggs. We just ordered a dark egg layer for that reason.