What Makes an Egg; Brown, White, Green, or Blue?

Do you know how eggs actually get their color?  We are all used to seeing white eggs at the market, and on occasion brown, but those were typically sold for more money or only available as an organic, free range option.  Throw in green, blue, pink and you have an altogether rainbow of egg options; most people don’t even know exist.

All eggs are actually white to begin with, and during the 26 hours or so it works its way down the oviduct, it’ll pass through an area that actually dyes the egg.   They have their own paint factory!  Each hen will lay the same color egg, every time.  The same breed of chicken may all be layers of brown eggs, but those eggs will likely be different shades of the same color.  I have 7 Easter Egger hens laying green eggs of different colors;  mint to olive, dark to light.   Unless she’s sick or suffers from malnutrition, it will always be the same.  It rotates as it goes, and if it rotates too slowly, you’ll actually see speckles.   If it rotates too quickly it will have streaks.  I have a hen that always lays a speckled egg, I've never seen a streaked egg.

The inside of the shells are actually white!

I find it all very fascinating.