Although there are six official sizes of eggs, the smallest size a grocery store consumer is likely to encounter is the medium egg. Sizes are determined strictly by weight, as the chart below indicates:
Size Minimum Weight Per Dozen Eggs
The weight of the bird is another factor in egg size. A pullet (a hen less than one year old) significantly underweight at sexual maturity will tend to produce small eggs. For this reason, farmers must pay attention not only to the quantity but the quality of feed given to hens. Feed without sufficient protein and fatty acids, while cheaper to supply, will yield smaller eggs. Hard evidence suggests that hatching environment also affects egg size. Heat, stress, and overcrowding all lower the size of eggs. Consumers are often confused about the relative value of different sizes of eggs. Some feel that larger sizes have disproportionately more shell than smaller eggs (not true: shells constitute approximately 10 percent of the weight of all eggs). Which size will constitute the best buy is likely to vary from week to week and can be determined by a formula devised by the American Egg Board. Let's say large eggs cost 96 cents a dozen and a dozen extra-large eggs cost $1.05. Which is the better buy? First, find the price difference by subtracting the price of the smaller size from that of the larger. In this case, the price difference is $1.05 minus 96 cents, or 9 cents. Then divide the price of the smaller eggs by 8 to find the "magic number." In this case, 96 cents divided by 8 is exactly 12 (round off the number if it isn't even).
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If the magic number is lower than the price difference, the smaller eggs are a better buy.
Submitted by Helen M. Tvorik, of Ma yfield Heights, Ohio.
The color of eggs comes exclusively from the pigment in the outer layer of the shell and may range from an almost pure white to a deep brown, with many shades in between. The only determinant of egg color is the breed of the chicken. Because white eggs are preferred in almost every region of the country, the Single-Comb White Leghorn has become by far the favorite egg-layer in the United States. The Leghorn is prized for many reasons: it reaches maturity earlier than most pullets; it uhlizes its feed efficiently; it is relatively small (an important consideration when most chickens are kept in cages even smaller than New York City studio apartments); it is hardy, adapting well to different climates; and most important, it produces a large number of eggs. If more consumers went along with New England's preference for brown eggs, more breeds
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such as the Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire, and Plymouth Rock would be
provided to produce them.
A simple test to determine the color of a hen's eggs is to look at her
earlobes. If the earlobes are white, the hen will lay white eggs. If the
earlobes are red, she will produce brown eggs.
Although many people are literally afraid to try brown eggs, they are
no more or less nutritious or healthy than white ones. In fact, brown eggs
have some cachet among health-food aficionados, which guarantees their
higher cost, if not greater benefits.
Egg yolks also range dramatically in color, but yolk variations are
caused by dietary differences rather than genetic ones. Yolk color is
influenced primarily by the pigments in the chicken feed. If the hen gets
plenty of yellow-orange plant pigments known as xanthophylls, the
pigments will be deposited in the yolk. Hens receiving mash with yellow
corn and alfalfa meal will lay eggs with medium yellow yolks. Those fed
on wheat or barley produce lighter yolks. A totally colorless diet, such as
white corn, will yield a colorless yolk. For cosmetic reasons alone,
farmers avoid giving chickens a colorless diet, because consumers prefer
a yellowish hue to their yolks.
submitted by jo ellen flynn of canyon county,. CA