Eggs: When Color Isn't Everything
A deep orange color may be artificial!
This summer, if you purchased eggs from us, you may have noticed that many of the eggs are a lighter color than usual.
We want to assure you that the eggs are still a superb quality.
There are three things going on:
1) The feed which was being fed in the past had carrot meal in it. Carrot meal is used by many of the farms you buy eggs from in the stores, to make the eggs artificially orange. As far as we understand, it is totally natural and harmless. However, the farmer had no idea that carrot meal was being put in the feed he was buying (it was not disclosed to him). When he found out, he changed feed suppliers.
2) There are multiple chicken flocks in different areas, and some have more orange eggs. We do not know exactly why this is.
3) In the dry summer season, the eggs are always naturally paler in color.
The farmer says “it's not all about the color of the eggs”. We both believe that those eggs are much higher quality than anything you will find in any store. Why?
1) The chickens who make these eggs are rotationally moved every single day. That is very uncommon for store-bought eggs.
2) The chickens’ diet does NOT contain carrot meal, paprika or turmeric, marigold or dandelion flowers, or other natural additives, for egg coloring.
3) The chickens are raised on a small scale for much better quality control.
4) The eggs are super fresh and never washed (only wet wiped a bit when needed).
Here are some quotes I found from various educational articles online:
“The color of the egg yolk is determined by the diet, genetics and living conditions of the hen.”
“The color of the yolk does not indicate freshness of the egg.”
“Some breeds of chicken are known for laying eggs with darker yolks than others.”
“Organic egg yolks tend to be lighter and more yellow, as there are fewer permitted additives in organic chicken feed, resulting in a lighter yolk color.”
“Yolk color is the result of pigments in the chickens’ feed. Dark and light yolks [often] have the same nutrition.”
“Although egg yolk color does not mean it has higher or different nutrition, many people do think dark-colored yolks are more flavorful. This hasn’t been backed by science, so you’ll have to judge for yourself …”
“Nutritionally, there is no significant difference between the yolks of different colored eggs.”
“Is the yolks’ phenomenal nutritional content responsible for the color? No, it’s not. This is a big misconception among egg lovers.
The color of the yolk has very little to do with its nutritional content. Actually, yolk color depends almost entirely on pigments in the food chickens eat. If a hen eats plenty of yellow-orange pigments called xanthophylls, those pigments will make a darker orange egg yolk.
When hens eat feed containing yellow corn or alfalfa meal, they lay eggs with medium-yellow yolks. When they eat wheat or barley, they lay eggs with lighter-colored yolks. A colorless diet, such as white cornmeal, produces nearly white egg yolks. (Imagine the surprise when you crack that egg!)”
What it comes down to is this - know your farmers, know their practices, and then you will know your eggs.
I always opt for daily rotationally moved, pasture-raised chickens, which I know get a large portion of their diet needs met through bugs and grasses in the pasture.