Why do chicken eggs have a dark yolk. The brighter the color, the better? All about chicken yolks

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Which chicken eggs are healthier? Brown or white?

Surely, every housewife asks this question when buying chicken eggs.

For some, brown eggs are an absolute favorite, as they are supposedly healthier than their white counterparts. Others argue that there is no difference, and you should not overpay only for the color of the shell.

Let's try to figure out what is fiction and what is true.

So:

What are eggs?

Chicken eggs come in different colors. You can find both brown and white eggs in stores or on the market.

However, few know the answer to the question: what does their color actually depend on?

The answer is quite simple - the color of eggs depends on the breed of chicken.

For example, White Leghorn hens lay white eggs, while Plymouth Rock and Rhode Island hens lay brown-shelled eggs.

Some breeds of chicken, for example, such as araucana, ameraucana, lay blue eggs. And there is nothing strange in this.

The different colors of eggshells come from pigments that chickens produce. The main pigment in the brown shell is called protoporphyrin IX.

The main pigment found in blue eggshells is biliverdin. While the main factor that determines egg color is genetics, other things can also influence shell color to some extent.

The environment, nutrition and stress levels of the bird also affect the color of the shell.

These factors can change the hue of the eggs, making them lighter or darker, but not drastically change their color. The main factor that determines the color of the shell, however, is the breed of chickens.

Output:

Chicken eggs can be brown, white, or even blue-green. The color of the eggs is determined by the breed of the hen that lays them.

Which eggs are healthier?

Some argue that brown eggs are more nutritious and healthier than white eggs.

Is it so? In fact, in terms of nutritional value, white-shell chicken eggs are in no way inferior to their brown counterparts.

Absolutely all chicken eggs are nutritious, regardless of their size, breed of chickens or color.

Therefore, both brown and white eggs are healthy and very healthy foods. An ordinary chicken egg has a high nutritional value. It contains many vitamins, minerals and high quality protein.

And at the same time, the energy value of an egg does not exceed 80 calories, which makes it an indispensable dietary product.

To see if there was a difference, the scientists compared brown-shelled eggs to white-shelled ones. As a result of research, it was found that the color of the shell does not significantly affect the quality and composition of the eggs.

This means that the color of an egg's shell has little to do with its nutritional value. The only real difference is the pigment in the shell.

However, there are other factors that can affect the nutritional content of an egg.

The environment in which poultry is raised can have a major impact on the quality of the product. For example, the eggs of those hens that spend most of their time in the sun contain 3-4 times more vitamin D.

After all, as you know, it is the sun that charges the living organism with vitamin D.

For example, hens eating a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids lay eggs that contain much higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids than those hens whose diet is rather meager.

The same goes for the aforementioned vitamin D when chicks are fed vitamin D fortified feed (11, 12).

Output:

There is no nutritional difference between brown and white eggs. However, the bird's diet and environment can significantly influence egg composition.

Do brown-shelled chicken eggs taste better than white ones?

Some people naively believe that brown eggs taste better than white ones.

But just like with the nutritional value of eggs, there is no difference between the taste of brown and white eggs.

However, this does not mean that all chicken eggs taste the same.

Although the color of the shell does not affect the taste of the egg in any way, there are other factors (such as the type of food, freshness, and how the egg is prepared) that can affect the taste of the product.

For example, hens fed a diet rich in nutritious fats lay tastier eggs than hens fed a poorer diet.

Since the diet of domestic chicken is noticeably different from farm chicken, respectively, the taste of eggs will also be completely different.

In addition, the fresher the egg, the tastier it is. The longer it is kept out of the refrigerator, the more likely it is to acquire a stale smell and taste.

Surprisingly, the way an egg is cooked can also affect its taste.

One study looked at how fish oil, used in chicken feed to boost omega-3 levels, altered the taste of eggs. It was found that when cooking scrambled eggs, the smell of the dishes was the same.

However, when boiled, an egg from a hen whose diet included fish oil gave off a more pronounced smell of sulfur.

Thus, although many factors can affect the taste of eggs, the color of the shell clearly has nothing to do with the palatability of the product.

Output:

Brown and white eggs usually taste the same. But the taste of eggs can differ depending on how fresh the product is, how it is cooked, and the diet of the chicken also affects it.

Why are brown eggs more expensive?

Despite the fact that brown and white eggs are almost the same in all respects, brown eggs, as a rule, have a higher price category. It is this fact that has led many people to think that brown eggs are tastier, healthier, or higher quality than white ones.

However, the reason for this price gap is quite different.

In fact, brown eggs only cost more because hens that laid brown eggs initially laid fewer eggs than laying hens that laid white eggs.

Therefore, brown eggs were sold at a higher price to offset the extra cost. After all, there were much fewer of them than white eggs.

These days, the production costs of white and brown eggs are the same. However, brown-shelled eggs still command a higher price.

Output:

Brown eggs usually cost more because laying hens laid fewer brown eggs.

Although the trend has changed over time, brown eggs are still more expensive than white eggs. However, this does not make some eggs better or worse than others. You can safely buy white eggs, without doubting their benefits and taste.

Surely, each of us has seen chicken eggs with different colors on store shelves. Many talk about the quality of the products. But is it? In this article, we will try to figure out what determines the color of the chicken egg shell, and how this affects their quality.

Some people think that brown eggs are more natural. However, the color of this product is affected by a large number of factors. The color does not affect its taste. Let's take a closer look at what the color of the shell depends on.

Chicken breed

Color egg characteristics for each individual breed of chickens are different. So, for example, there are breeds with white plumage, which have high productivity and the color of the shell of their masonry is white. They are most often bred on an industrial scale. That is why there is a predominance of products with a white color on the shelves of a store or market.

Farmers prefer to have hens of a universal breed with high egg production. As a rule, their color is brown, therefore chicken eggs have the corresponding color. That is why they are considered more natural.

Environment

Temperature, stress, various diseases can affect the color of the shell of chicken eggs. A shade of brown can be imparted by the pigment protoporphyrin. There is a lot of this substance in various vitamins, hemoglobin. The longer the fetus moves in the oviduct, the richer its shell becomes. This is due to the long-term effect of the pigment on the shell.

In addition, the color also depends on the laying period. So, for example, the first eggs are slightly darker than the subsequent ones. In the course of numerous studies, it was also found that the formation of their color is due to the presence of a color pigment in the cells of the egg-forming organ of the laying hen. In this regard, the color is laid even in the early stages of the development of egg fruits.

White and brown: is there a difference?

However, the difference of this product is only in color: for some it is white, for others it is brown. The presence of yolk, nutrients and other characteristics are absolutely identical, and it does not depend on different colors. In this case, the thickness of the shell is almost the same.

Sometimes it may differ, but this is not the effect of color, but of the age of the chicken. In young mature individuals, the fruits will be with a thick and strong shell, which cannot be said about older laying hens. Strength can also be affected by the amount of calcium that the bird receives from the feed. As a rule, their fruits acquire a fragile structure in the spring, when the body of the chicken is depleted after winter.

Video presented by the channel Why? The show will allow you to find out what factors have a direct impact on the shade of chicken products.

Given all these arguments, the question arises: what determines the cost of eggs of different colors, if they are identical in their characteristics. Why is a product with a brown shell more expensive than a product with a white one? This is easy to explain: most often it is a marketing ploy and nothing more. However, it is worth noting that chickens that produce brown eggs require more feed, respectively, their maintenance is more expensive. It is this factor that affects the cost of brown eggs.

Cream-colored clutches of various shades are found, as a rule, in dark-colored chickens, however, in other respects, the products do not have any difference.

Sometimes foods of different colors differ in taste. Why it happens? First of all, I would like to note that this does not depend on the tone in which the eggshell is colored. The difference lies in the nutrition of chickens, as it affects the color and taste of the yolk. If laying hens that lay fruits with different shell colors eat the same, then their taste and yolk tone will be identical.

For some reason, many people believe that the color of the yolk is an indicator of the naturalness and freshness of the product. But it's not. Pigments such as carotenoids affect the structure of the yolk. They are found in foods of plant origin. So, for example, if corn or grass meal is added to the feed of laying hens, then the color of the yolk will be very bright. Alfalfa has less of this pigment, so its hue will be pale.

We want to let you in on a little secret: not all egg yolks are the same, as many people believe. In truth, their color will tell a lot more about what you're actually eating. Perhaps you could not even think of such a thing.

What determines the color of the yolk?

According to the results of many studies, the color of the yolk of an egg depends on the grain that was fed to the chicken. In addition, it can also reveal information about a given bird's complete diet, ranging from the type of food it eats to the variety of food it eats. For the most part, the color depends on a special pigment that was found in plants of the so-called xanthophyll.

How does chicken nutrition affect yolk color?

If you happen to visit America during your trip, you will probably shop in an American supermarket. There you will most likely buy eggs with a bright orange yolk. This is because most American farmers feed their chickens foods that contain xanthophyll and luteal extracts. On farms, the diet of chickens is enriched with marigold leaves, yellow corn, green fodder such as alfalfa, orange peel, algae, carrots, etc. This is what gives the orange tint to chicken yolk.

On the other hand, a light, almost white yolk means that the chicken was fed grass and grain, which contains less pigment than yellow corn or carrots. If you live in Europe, it is unlikely that you will come across such a pale chicken yolk. They are actually more common in Africa!

And what about egg yolks with a reddish or red-orange color? This shade is due to the xanthophyll extract, zeaxanthin, which is found in dark red or green plants such as peppers, cabbage, spinach, broccoli. According to many studies, it is dark yolks that are usually enriched with nutrients such as omega-3 acids, carotenoids and lutein.

Is there a difference between light and dark yolks?

However, you can eat yolks of any color and not worry. All of them have amazing benefits for your health. The color of the yolk simply indicates the type of nutrients you are consuming, not the amount.

However, regardless of color, you should store all eggs the same. The Food and Drug Administration recommends storing them in the refrigerator at a temperature no higher than 4 degrees. By the way, Americans cool eggs, but Europeans do not. Now you know much more about the valuable and nutritious product that chickens give us.

By the color of the egg yolk, you can determine the health of the chicken - it can be more or less intense yellow in color. But sometimes it happens that chickens begin to lay eggs with green yolks. Is this a deviation from the norm, is it possible to eat such products and what needs to be done to eliminate this problem - the answers to these questions in our article will be useful not only for poultry houses, but also for housewives who are faced with the task of choosing quality products.

What determines the color of the yolk

The color of an egg yolk depends on several factors, including:

Bird conditions. If a chicken is kept in a household, walks in the wild and, in addition to eating grain, has the ability to row and find various bugs and worms in the ground, then the yolks of the eggs laid by it will be a more saturated yellow-orange color. But when the rules for keeping birds are violated, in which they are indoors 24 hours a day, they are not able to move well and do not receive enough ultraviolet radiation, then the egg yolks of such chickens will have a pale yellow color.
Seasonality. Sometimes the color of the yolks depends on seasonal changes: in winter it can be paler from less fresh vegetable food and insufficient UV light.
Feed composition. If the body of the chicken receives enough of all the nutrients and vitamins, then the yolks in the eggs will be colored in a more saturated color.

Important! Eggs with bright orange yolks are in high demand among the population, so unscrupulous manufacturers add artificial pigments to laying hens' feed, which can adversely affect the health of consumers. Therefore, if the yolks of purchased eggs have an unnaturally bright color, it is better to refrain from purchasing them.

Video: chicken yolk colors

What color should egg yolks be?

Quality eggs from healthy laying hens may have yolks of varying shades of yellow, as this depends on the amount of carotenoids found in the food. These antioxidants contribute to the formation of vitamin A, which makes these foods valuable for our body.

Carotenoids are part of the following components of combined feeds:

yellow;
fruits;
red paprika;
green grass or substitutes (alfalfa grass meal).

Also, dark yolks indicate the content of fatty acids (Omega-3) and xanthophylls in them. If only grain predominates in the diet of the bird, then the egg yolks will be pale, with less nutritional value. Therefore, the better and better the bird's nutrition, the richer the color of the egg yolks, and the more valuable substances they contain.

Is it possible to eat eggs with green yolks

If you find that your chickens have started laying eggs with green content, or you have purchased such eggs from the store, then it is best to refrain from eating these products.

Did you know? If you cook scrambled eggs from one ostrich egg, then it will have the same volume as scrambled eggs from 25 chicken.

What to do if chickens began to lay eggs with a green yolk

First you need to trace whether all chickens began to give eggs with this pathology or only certain individuals. Then it is desirable to give such eggs for research.
To get an accurate conclusion about the causes of this phenomenon, it is best to contact the laboratory of veterinary and sanitary examination.

Reasons for rejection

Staining the yolks in a green tint may indicate the following factors:

Chickens are given food with green coloring pigments.
Viral diseases of chickens.
Old age laying hens.
Non-compliance with the storage conditions of eggs or damage to their shells, due to which harmful substances got inside.
Infection of eggs with putrefactive aerobic bacilli.

In the latter case, green rot occurs in the product, which is caused by various groups of Pseudomonas bacteria. Usually such bacteria are found in traces of chicken droppings left on the egg shell.
With increased humidity from the surface of the shell, putrefactive bacilli freely penetrate into the egg and begin to multiply rapidly there, releasing greenish substances. Also, a green color may appear due to the development of Staph aureus bacilli inside.

How to bring the yolk back to normal

If it is established that the cause of the unnatural color of the yolk was the food, which included green color pigments, then it is advisable to review the diet of the brood hens and exclude such foods.
In case of viral diseases and other ailments, it is necessary to consult a veterinary specialist who will determine which virus the birds suffered from and prescribe them a course of a suitable antibiotic.
If the cause of the green yolk was the age of the laying hen, then this problem can be eliminated by the planned replacement of old individuals with younger ones.
It is important to observe the terms and conditions of storage of the product: in a dark, dry, cool place, at a constant temperature from 0 to +20°C, avoiding sudden temperature changes. Shelf life - 25 days.

Prevention of diseases affecting the color of the yolk

Here are some preventive measures to prevent the pathology in question in hens:

Vaccination. With the threat of the spread of viral diseases, it is important to give the birds regular vaccinations with a live attenuated vaccine, after which the vaccinated chickens will have active immunity.
Rigid sanitation. To avoid viral diseases of hens, to prevent infection of eggs with putrefactive bacteria and microorganisms, as well as their spread inside the hen house, you must strictly adhere to the rules for collecting eggs, preserving them and the sanitary and hygienic requirements provided for in the preparation.
Correct conditions of detention. It is impossible to allow a large number of birds to be kept in a small area. The room where chickens are kept should be spacious enough and well ventilated.
Timely disposal of dead individuals. Dead birds should be burned or buried deep, sprinkled with quicklime.

Did you know? In the United States in 1910, a record was set for eating boiled eggs: a man ate 144 pieces at a time. To date, no one has been able to break this record, although attempts have been made repeatedly.

It is also important to remember that when keeping poultry, it is necessary to observe strict sanitary standards and a feeding regime, to provide high-quality feed in order to exclude any anomalies and pathologies: both in pets and in the eggs they produce.

In the grocery department of the supermarket, we all have repeatedly paid attention to the different colors of chicken eggs - some chicken eggs are white, others are brown. Why do chicken eggs come in different colors? So,

What determines the color of chicken eggs

The color of the shell of chicken eggs is determined by the pigment in the outer layer of the shell and it depends on the breed of the chicken that laid the egg. If the earlobe of a domestic chicken is white, then it lays white eggs, and if the earlobe is red, then brown.

By the way, in South America there is a breed of chickens with feathered growths on the head, it is called "araucana". So, araucana hens lay blue eggs! Moreover, the Americans bred another chicken breed from this breed - "ameraucan". Ameraucana hens have peculiar "whiskers", and the color of their eggs can be yellow, green and even pink.

Egg yolk color

The color of the yolk of a chicken egg depends on the food that it is fed, or rather, on the pigments included in its composition. For example, a hen fed bright yellow varieties of corn, which contain an abundance of the yellow-orange pigment xanthophyll, will also have bright yellow egg yolks. And yellow alfalfa or varieties of corn with a pale yellow pigment, if fed mainly with them, will give a pale yellow color to the yolk of a chicken egg.

According to the publication "The Book of Facts"