“Today we see fewer and fewer brown eggs and soon there will probably be none left,” says Henner Schönecke, president of the Federal Association of German Egg Producers. The reason is that many breeders are switching from brown chickens to white chickens. The newspaper “Bild” was the first to report on this.
“White chickens have greater genetic potential than brown ones. They live and rest longer,” says Schönecke. “White chickens are easier to keep and more mobile than brown ones.” They find their food and water better, and are lighter and smaller, just like their eggs. This makes placement less strenuous. Brown eggs are now only available from a few regional breeders.
White chickens lay white eggs, while brown-feathered chickens lay brown eggs. According to Schönecke, this is the rule, at least for chicken breeds in Germany. According to the association, the proportion of brown eggs in supermarkets is still around 30 percent and discount stores often no longer have them. Ten years ago, more brown eggs were sold than white eggs in this country. On average, each German eats about 235 eggs per year.
Brown eggs are more popular with older people
A customer survey carried out by the Central Association of the German Poultry Industry shows that brown eggs are often still more popular among older people. Younger people usually don't care about color; For them, aspects such as livestock farming and regionality are more important.
“Most consumers don't really care about the color of the shell,” says a spokesperson for the trading company Rewe. An exception is Easter, where white eggs are clearly preferred. Whether brown or white: this has no perceptible impact on consumers.
In the past, brown eggs had a firmer shell, says Schönecke, but not anymore. There are no taste differences. The 51-year-old, who is also a laying hen farmer and runs a fourth-generation family business between Buxtehude and Hamburg, went completely white a year and a half ago.