Chicken eggs come in a variety of colors.  Those generally produced for sale are either white or various shades of brown.  But all chicken eggs begin as white eggs, with pigmentation being added to the shell in the next to last last step of the egg laying process.

Eggshell pigmentation (color), if any, is added to the shell by papillae lining the oviduct. Since eggs are usually laid blunt end first, that end is subjected to most pressure during its passage and consequently shows the most color. The cuticle, the final outer layer of the shell, is deposited on the shell in the vagina of the bird's oviduct.

Egg shell color is caused by pigment deposition during egg formation in the oviduct and can vary according to species and breed, from the more common white or brown to pink or speckled blue-green. In general, chicken breeds with white ear lobes lay white eggs, whereas chickens with red ear lobes lay brown eggs.

White eggs, as noted before, are still the most commonly produced commercial egg, and are necessary for pysankarstvo. Leghorns are the most common breed of white egg layer, but several other Mediterranean breeds of chickens including Andalusians and Anconas also lay white eggs, as do Lakenvelders, Polish, and Hamburg hens.

There are many, many varieties of chicken, and some of them produce quite interesting eggs. French Marans, for instance, are black chickens that lay a very dark colored egg:

Numerous other varieties produce many shades of brown eggs.

Ameraucanas, Araucanas, and Cream Legbars all lay blue eggs.

Green eggs are produced by Easter Eggers, Olive Eggers or Favaucanas.  Olive Egger chickens (half Marans chickens and half Ameraucana chickens) lay olive green eggs, while the Favaucana (half Faverolle and half Ameraucana), lays a pale sage green egg. Isbars also lay a range of greenish-colored eggs from mossy to mint green.

Chickens can also lay cream or pale pink eggs (which, to me, look more like beige). Light Sussex, Mottled Javas, Australorps, Buff Orpingtons, Silkies, Plymouth Rock and Faverolles all lay a pinkish-cream egg.

Some Easter Eggers will also lay cream or pink eggs, while others will lay green or bluish eggs. In fact, a flock of this mixed breed of chickens can lay a rainbow of egg colors on their own including bluish, green, pinkish or cream!

Here are a few more egg charts of chicken varieties and their egg colors:

A photo of unknown provenance arranges all the possible chicken egg colors in this spectrum:

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