- The color of an egg’s shell is dictated by a hen’s breed and genes. A hen lays the same color egg her whole life.
- The color of the yolk is dictated by a hen’s diet. Foods containing xanthophyll such as corn, marigolds and alfalfa help make egg yolks a vibrant orange color.
- The number on a carton of eggs indicates the date the egg was packaged (i.e. the 306 on the carton in the photograph means the egg on the left above was put in the carton on November 1st – the 306th day of the year – compare that to our farm fresh egg on the right laid this morning!)
- A blood spot in an egg does not indicate fertility. It is merely a bit of broken blood vessel, possibly from rough handling of the egg or jarring while the egg was being laid.
- A white ‘bulls eye’ on the yolk does indicate fertility.
- An egg should not be washed until just before using it, to preserve the natural ‘bloom’ that keeps out air and bacteria.
- Eggs don’t need to be refrigerated, but will last roughly seven times longer in the fridge than out on the counter.
- A hen’s diet won’t affect the taste of an egg specifically – i.e. adding garlic to their feed won’t result in garlic-flavored eggs – but eggs from hens who eat healthy, varied diets will be more flavorful.
- An egg contains 13 essential vitamins and minerals, protein, unsaturated fats, lutein and plenty of antioxidants.
- 75-85% of an egg is water.
- There are approximately 70 calories in one egg.
- Eggs are a wonderful source of Omega-3. You can increase the Omega-3 levels in eggs by adding flax seed to your chickens’ daily diet .
Read more HERE about how an egg shell gets its color and which breeds lay colored eggs.
Read more HERE about naturally supplementing your daily layer feed for more nutritious eggs and healthier hens.
Read more HERE about handling and washing eggs.
Read more HERE about how to tell how fresh an egg is.
Source for selected information: www.incredibleegg.org
