Why You Never See Different Colored Eggs At The Grocery Store

Grocery

Why You Never See Different Colored Eggs At The Grocery Store By Lindsey Reynolds Oct. 4, 2025 10:20 am EST

Wander through the egg aisle at any supermarket in the United States and you'll mostly see one color: white. Maybe a few brown-shelled options appear, but that's it. Chickens can lay eggs ranging from pale blue to olive green to chocolate-brown, so why do grocery stores almost exclusively stock boring old white eggs? The answer lies in industrial farming, consumer expectations, and a streamlined supply system.

Most mass-market producers in the U.S. rely on a specific breed of chicken known as the white leghorn. These productive little hens lay white-shelled eggs almost daily and are quite fertile, making them the preferred chicken for large-scale egg operations.