Brown vs White Eggs: Difference and Comparison

A protein-rich superfood has been a part of our diets in the form of breakfast, rice, cakes, pancakes, and many more varieties of food. EGG’S it is.

Eggs come in two forms- brown and white.

Key Takeaways

1. Brown eggs are laid by chickens with red earlobes, while chickens lay white eggs with white earlobes.
2. Brown eggs are sometimes considered healthier or more natural than white eggs, but no scientific evidence supports this claim.
3. Brown eggs are often more expensive than white eggs due to higher production costs.

Brown vs White Eggs

The difference between a brown and a white egg is that the hens with white feathers lay white eggs, and those with brown features lay brown eggs.

Eggs are suitable for the brain, hair, memory, and cognition. Also, brown and white eggs are rich in protein and amino acids and an excellent source of minerals, beta carotene.

To know more about the nutrition facts of eggs, check out this link.

Did you know eggs contain all the needed vitamins except vitamin C?

Comparison Table Between Brown and White Eggs

Parameter Of Comparison	Brown Eggs	White Eggs
Breed	Native	Hybrid
Shell	Harder	Less hard
Yoke	Dark yellow or orange	Light yellow
Cost	Expensive	Less Expensive
Size	Smaller	Bigger than a brown egg
Weight	Less weight	Heavier than brown egg
Raising space	Mostly native and home-based	Commercial breeding space
Feathers	Brown, dark or red feathers.	White feathers

What is Brown Egg?

Brown eggs are native eggs. We call them a desi or native breed of chicken.

The native eggs are more minor and creamy at the outer level. But native eggs are most brown too.

Usually, brown eggs are used for dietary consumption and rarely used for breeding again. They are also very nutritious.

But scientifically, brown eggs are not proven to be healthier than white eggs.

The brown egg has a pigment called ‘Protoporphyrin IX’.  This pigment is found in ‘heme’.

Heme is a blood compound that ensures the blood retains its red colour.

The brown shell always has a white shell at the interior walls of the egg.

What is White Egg?

Hybrid or boiler chickens lay white eggs. Furthermore, there are also two subtypes of white eggs that are in the market.

The first category is yet again used for breeding eggs.

On the other hand, the second category of eggs is not capable of further breeding.

The ones that are not further breeds are used for household consumption. White eggs are fuller, lighter in weight and cheaper for the pocket.

They have a bigger yoke in comparison to a brown egg.

Main Differences Between Brown and White Eggs

Raising Space

The brown hens are used for domestic purposes and are carefully raised. They are nurtured on farms or at home.

The white hens are grown to address market demand and for commercial purposes. White eggs are also called hybrid in nature.

The raising space concerning white hens is in breeding farms. Restaurants, food chains, bakeries, and sweet vendors all use white eggs because they are readily available, more extensive and cheaper too.

Feathers

The feather and ear lobes of brown hens are brown, while the feathers and ear lobes of white hens are white.

The same is for their ear lobes. The ear lobes of brown hens are brown, and the ear lobes of white hens are white.

Breed

The brown hens are home fed and take a longer time to grow in size hence their eggs take a while to be seen in the market. They also need to be fed more food as they are more significant than white hens.

On the contrary, white hens are used for commercial purposes and are hybrid.

They are mass-produced to cater to the needs of the confectionery market.

Shell

The shell of the brown eggs is more complicated than the white eggs, but it has nothing to do with the colour or breed of the egg. The shell of a younger hen is more rigid.

As the brown eggs take time to take to their readiness to be consumed, they are consumed as soon as the egg is ready.

Hence the shell of a brown egg is more complicated than a white egg. As the hen grows up, the thickness of the outer shell reduces in both the colour of the eggs.

Yoke

The yoke of the brown eggs looks richer in texture and colour, and often, it is misunderstood that brown eggs are much healthier than white eggs. It is said that both brown and white eggs have the same nutritional value.

It’s just that the colour is different.

The yoke looks richer in brown eggs because their feathers are richer in viewing. Also, they are fed for a longer time.

So the diet of the brown hen also contributes. But it doesn’t mean that the egg yoke of brown egg wins a brownie point in its nutritive value.

Cost

The cost of a brown egg is higher as brown eggs are giant; hence eat more. The cost of expenditure is higher on brown hens than the white eggs grown with the help of technology.

Hence the cost is higher for brown eggs. Usually, the brown eggs are 40% at a higher end as per the cost ratio.

Size and weight

As the brown eggs are fed for a longer time and are heavier in size than white eggs, the brown eggs are bigger than white eggs.

Adding more, the same applies to the weight. The weight of the brown eggs is higher than the hybrid-grown white eggs, which are lighter and look fluffier too.

References

1. https://jfoodprotection.org/doi/pdf/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-11-013