Egg color is characteristic of the breed of chicken producing the egg. The genetic background of the hen (the hen's "mother and father") determines the inherited egg color produced. Egg color or pigment is secreted and applied to the final layers of the eggshell by the hen. The location of this pigment in the outer layer can be demonstrated by an experiment with a brown egg. The egg's color can be removed by soaking a brown egg in vinegar, which dissolves the outer layer of the shell.

Generally, the color of the chicken's earlobe accurately predicts the color of egg the hen will produce. Hens with white earlobes produce white eggs while hens with red earlobes produce brown eggs. Currently we are unaware of a book that displays pictures of eggs from different breeds of chickens. However, there is an excellent book that details and pictures the size and color of hundreds of species of birds.

Birds' Eggs (An Eyewitness Handbook) by Michael Walters (1994)

Dorling Kindersley, Inc., 95 Madison Avenue, New York 10016

The following is a list of chicken breeds and their egg color.

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