and brown egg-laying strains (Curtis et al., 1985, 1986;
Washburn, 1990). Generally, brown egg layers are believed
to be heavier than white egg layers, and that they
lay larger eggs with better albumen quality but thinner
shells. These differences between white and brown egg
layers are not due to a direct relationship with shell color
but, rather, due to differences in the genetic origins of
the hens. The data reported here are in clear conflict with
many of these beliefs. The brown eggs were heavier than
the white eggs, likely because the hens weighed more
(unpublished observations). Although the brown eggs
had more shell and albumen than the white eggs, they
had less yolk. The albumen pH was the same, but the
albumen height of the brown eggs was much less. Significant
interactions between storage time and strain for both
albumen height and pH appear to be caused by one mea-