EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT CHICKEN EGGS

If you have questions about chicken eggs – this should help. If you have unanswered questions leave them in the comments and we can add to the page.

COLORS

How do eggs get their color?
This is a great question! The color is a combination of the shell and the bloom on the egg. The shell color is determined by genetics and also matched ears on the chicken. I learned that tidbit from our friend Kass, a college student with agriculture major, years ago. Every chicken will lay a certain color.

Does egg color affect the egg taste or nutrient levels?
Absolutely not. The internal make up of a blue egg will be the same as a white egg. Now different breeds are known for different egg attributes. For example we have a breed of chicken in the coop that has very thick membranes, which can make the eggs hard to crack without getting shells falling in the bowl. Those chickens are also skittish, but very cute. They have fluffy heads and pretty coloring.

Why do stores sell white eggs in generic brand and brown eggs in farm fresh brands?
A very common breed of white egg layer are called White Leghorn Eggs, these chickens will lay 5+ eggs in a week – that is over 300 eggs a year. During good weather that is usually 2 a day! Can you see? If you are going to feed a chicken and sell the eggs – it is logical to get the most eggs out the least amount of feed. So these girls are the choice. Similar with Rhode Island Red – very high production,4-6 eggs a week but these lay brown eggs. The appearance of farm fresh, with the production of a White Leghorn… you can sell the same item for $2 more in the grocery store. Blue egg layers have historically laid fewer eggs, but now there are cross breeds that lay as many as 5 eggs a week.

FRESHNESS

Are eggs from a farm more fresh than store eggs?
That is hard to tell. Eggs at the grocery store do need to be sold in 90 days from the laying date. That might seem like a lot, but for collection, transit, packaging, transit to store and getting it on the shelf – it really is not that long. Most farm eggs get into your fridge faster than that – but you’d have to check with your local farm.

Are floating eggs bad?
An egg that floats in water has been exposed to more air. This does not mean it is bad. An egg that sinks was laid more recently, but it could be bad already. The easiest way to tell if an egg is bad is to crack it and smell it. If it smells fine – then you don’t need to worry. If you are worried, just make sure it is cooked through. Use an egg you trust for your over easy Benedict.

WASHED/UNWASHED EGGS

Can you leave all eggs out on the counter?
When an egg is washed it removes a coating called the bloom. This protects the egg from bacteria and makes a safe environment for a chick to hatch. It will also protect an egg from getting bad if it is left on the counter. When an egg is washed it will only last a few days on the counter, but it will still last at least two months in the refrigerator. Since we don’t get our eggs multiple times a day and we have some uncoordinated chickens – we regularly have eggs broken in the nesting boxes. This means that the bedding and debris gets stuck to the shell and needs to be washed before giving or selling them to someone else. This is why we tell our friends, family and customers to keep eggs in the refrigerator. This is the same reason you are told to keep store eggs in the fridge – they have been washed.

Are you are wondering: What do store labels mean? Click to find out more.