⠀ Where do eggs get their colors?

[Purina]

A common misconception we see about eggs is that colored eggs are more nutritious than white eggs. This is simply not true. The color of eggs does not impact their nutritional value. Instead, egg nutrition is impacted by the feed hens eat.

But how do eggs get their color? Whether white, brown, blue or green, an egg begins the same way. The yolk is formed first. The yolk color comes from fat-soluble pigments, called xanthophylls, which are found in a hen's diet. Hens may direct marigold extract from the feed to create vibrant orange yolks and omega-3 fatty acids to produce more nutritious eggs.

Next, the shell is formed around the contents of the egg in the shell gland. This is where shell color is added. Most shells start white and then color is added. Breeds like Orpingtons, Rhode Island Reds, Marans, Ameraucanas or Easter Eggers, will apply pigments to transform white eggs to brown, blue or green.

The color of an egg doesn’t impact egg nutrition. But hen nutrition does. No matter the color, you can increase omega-3 levels through chicken feed. This video shows how:

What color eggs are in your egg basket? Do you feed for added omega-3?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Most people decorate Easter Eggs with dye. Me? I use genetics. I have many colors in my egg basket. I breed for egg color, so the whole topic fascinates me.

To add to Purina's nice article above, you can manipulate the genetics of the hens to create an even greater variety of egg color for your egg basket.

To keep the genetics simple for purposes of this thread, think of the shell as your base canvas. Eggs are naturally either base white or base blue.

The blue is bile tossed into the calcium at the gland so that the base shell becomes tinted blue. The breeds that are "pure" for blue produce the darkest blue as they have both of the 2 genes possible for blue. In America, the "true blue" breeds are typically your true Ameraucanas, true Araucanas, Cream Legbars, and Isbars.

If there is only 1 blue gene present, the hen lays a lighter blue shell base. Typically those are your hybrids from true layers such as Easter Eggers and Olive Eggers.

If there are no blue genes, then the base shell remains white. Your industry layers such as White Leghorns fit this category.

Now, how do we get to brown and green?

Brown is actually pigment painted onto the shell base later down in the egg tract. (Crack a brown egg open and inside you see white shell). That pigment is made from hemoglobin and thus is brown-red in color tones.

If a hen's system paints a lot of brown on the shell, then her eggs are dark brown. If her system only paints a little on the shell, then it is a light brown tint. How much brown is painted is determined by about 13 genes. Therefore, brown is a bit elusive to breed for. Typically only about half the offspring will carry forward the darkest brown tints. Usually you get the middle tone in offspring between a dark layer and a light layer.

Your darkest brown layers in America are Marans, Welsummer, Barnevelder, and Penedesenca. Your typical middle brown layers are Rhode Island Red and Plymouth Rock. Amazingly, I find a lot of hatchery hybrid Gold Sex Links to carry a lovely terra cotta brown (which breeds forward!)

Here comes the fun. Brown pigment painted on white shell gives brown eggs. Brown pigment painted on blue shells gives green eggs.

So now you have the formula for green or olive colored eggs. Breeding a brown line parent to a blue line parent will give you green or olive colored eggs depending on the depth of brown.

Of course there is more to it than that, including the color tone which may be in the anti-microbial bloom the hen adds at the very last. Certain bloom tints can create lavender or rose tinted eggs and even the elusive plum.

Raising healthy hens who produce eggs with rich egg yolks, strong shells, and bright shell colors is extremely rewarding. To do that, I do like to use quality layer feeds for proper nutrition. Whenever I've used it, I've been happy with Purina's Omega 3 with marigold for rich egg yolk color.

Here is my egg basket from an Easter not long ago. Who needs dye tablets?

Lady of McCamley

 

[N F C]

Interesting topic and lovely eggs @Lady of McCamley

I have 1 Welsummer in my flock and her eggs are always the most interesting to me...seems no 2 are alike. They're fairly dark with the speckled splotches on them but always differ from one day to another.

@Purina thanks for the info! Eggs are like little presents from the birds I enjoy so much.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

...and since the title of the article is "Where do Eggs Get Their Color?"

Here is a recent breeding chart I made up to keep track of my development for dark eggs and olive eggs in my current line. You can see the olive developing as well as the browns.

 

[LittleWillowFarm]

Most people decorate Easter Eggs with dye. Me? I use genetics. I have many colors in my egg basket. I breed for egg color, so the whole topic fascinates me.

To add to Purina's nice article above, you can manipulate the genetics of the hens to create an even greater variety of egg color for your egg basket.

To keep the genetics simple for purposes of this thread, think of the shell as your base canvas. Eggs are naturally either base white or base blue.

The blue is bile tossed into the calcium at the gland so that the base shell becomes tinted blue. The breeds that are "pure" for blue produce the darkest blue as they have both of the 2 genes possible for blue. In America, the "true blue" breeds are typically your true Ameraucanas, true Araucanas, Cream Legbars, and Isbars.

If there is only 1 blue gene present, the hen lays a lighter blue shell base. Typically those are your hybrids from true layers such as Easter Eggers and Olive Eggers.

If there are no blue genes, then the base shell remains white. Your industry layers such as White Leghorns fit this category.

Now, how do we get to brown and green?

Brown is actually pigment painted onto the shell base later down in the egg tract. (Crack a brown egg open and inside you see white shell). That pigment is made from hemoglobin and thus is brown-red in color tones.

If a hen's system paints a lot of brown on the shell, then her eggs are dark brown. If her system only paints a little on the shell, then it is a light brown tint. How much brown is painted is determined by about 13 genes. Therefore, brown is a bit elusive to breed for. Typically only about half the offspring will carry forward the darkest brown tints. Usually you get the middle tone in offspring between a dark layer and a light layer.

Your darkest brown layers in America are Marans, Welsummer, Barnevelder, and Penedesenca. Your typical middle brown layers are Rhode Island Red and Plymouth Rock. Amazingly, I find a lot of hatchery hybrid Gold Sex Links to carry a lovely terra cotta brown (which breeds forward!)

Here comes the fun. Brown pigment painted on white shell gives brown eggs. Brown pigment painted on blue shells gives green eggs.

So now you have the formula for green or olive colored eggs. Breeding a brown line parent to a blue line parent will give you green or olive colored eggs depending on the depth of brown.

Of course there is more to it than that, including the color tone which may be in the anti-microbial bloom the hen adds at the very last. Certain bloom tints can create lavender or rose tinted eggs and even the elusive plum.

Raising healthy hens who produce eggs with rich egg yolks, strong shells, and bright shell colors is extremely rewarding. To do that, I do like to use quality layer feeds for proper nutrition. Whenever I've used it, I've been happy with Purina's Omega 3 with marigold for rich egg yolk color.

Here is my egg basket from an Easter not long ago. Who needs dye tablets?

Lady of McCamley

View attachment 1156207

 

[Purina]

Most people decorate Easter Eggs with dye. Me? I use genetics. I have many colors in my egg basket. I breed for egg color, so the whole topic fascinates me.

To add to Purina's nice article above, you can manipulate the genetics of the hens to create an even greater variety of egg color for your egg basket.

To keep the genetics simple for purposes of this thread, think of the shell as your base canvas. Eggs are naturally either base white or base blue.

The blue is bile tossed into the calcium at the gland so that the base shell becomes tinted blue. The breeds that are "pure" for blue produce the darkest blue as they have both of the 2 genes possible for blue. In America, the "true blue" breeds are typically your true Ameraucanas, true Araucanas, Cream Legbars, and Isbars.

If there is only 1 blue gene present, the hen lays a lighter blue shell base. Typically those are your hybrids from true layers such as Easter Eggers and Olive Eggers.

If there are no blue genes, then the base shell remains white. Your industry layers such as White Leghorns fit this category.

Now, how do we get to brown and green?

Brown is actually pigment painted onto the shell base later down in the egg tract. (Crack a brown egg open and inside you see white shell). That pigment is made from hemoglobin and thus is brown-red in color tones.

If a hen's system paints a lot of brown on the shell, then her eggs are dark brown. If her system only paints a little on the shell, then it is a light brown tint. How much brown is painted is determined by about 13 genes. Therefore, brown is a bit elusive to breed for. Typically only about half the offspring will carry forward the darkest brown tints. Usually you get the middle tone in offspring between a dark layer and a light layer.

Your darkest brown layers in America are Marans, Welsummer, Barnevelder, and Penedesenca. Your typical middle brown layers are Rhode Island Red and Plymouth Rock. Amazingly, I find a lot of hatchery hybrid Gold Sex Links to carry a lovely terra cotta brown (which breeds forward!)

Here comes the fun. Brown pigment painted on white shell gives brown eggs. Brown pigment painted on blue shells gives green eggs.

So now you have the formula for green or olive colored eggs. Breeding a brown line parent to a blue line parent will give you green or olive colored eggs depending on the depth of brown.

Of course there is more to it than that, including the color tone which may be in the anti-microbial bloom the hen adds at the very last. Certain bloom tints can create lavender or rose tinted eggs and even the elusive plum.

Raising healthy hens who produce eggs with rich egg yolks, strong shells, and bright shell colors is extremely rewarding. To do that, I do like to use quality layer feeds for proper nutrition. Whenever I've used it, I've been happy with Purina's Omega 3 with marigold for rich egg yolk color.

Here is my egg basket from an Easter not long ago. Who needs dye tablets?

Lady of McCamley

View attachment 1156207

Wow, thanks for sharing, Lady of McCamley! You are truly an egg-spert when it comes to the genetics behind colored eggs. Isn't the variety amazing when it comes to chickens breeds and colored eggs?

Would you mind if we shared your beautiful egg photos and story on our Purina Poultry Facebook page? We have an entire community of chicken enthusiasts that would love this - if you haven't 'liked' our page yet, check it out!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

@Purina
Thank you.
Yes, you may share my photos and article on your facebook page.
I'm happy to help.
LofMc