Ask an Egg Farmer: Nutrition

Any eggs that come from hens that were fed a diet high in flaxseed could smell ‘fishy’, as a result of the plant-based omega-3 fatty acid that flaxseed naturally contains. Increasing the flaxseed component in hen feed is one of the most common ways for hens to produce Omega-3 eggs; the ‘fishy’ smell actually comes from the omega-3 fatty acid, even in fish.

The hen housing system does not affect the flavor, quality or nutritional value of the eggs.  Purchasing eggs based on the type of hen housing system the hens who laid them were raised in, is entirely a personal choice, and Alberta egg farmers are happy to provide Albertans with a wide variety of eggs to choose from.

There is no nutritional difference between white eggs and brown eggs.  Quite simply, white eggs are laid by white hens and brown eggs are laid by brown hens.

The yolk color does not affect the flavor, quality or nutritional value of the eggs.  Yolk color is entirely dependent on the type of feed the hens eat; wheat-based feed tends to produce lighter yolks and corn-based feed tends to produce darker yolks.