Eggs and heat

[winniem]

How long can eggs sit in the next box in this heat and still be safe to eat? I plan to be out of town and wondering- can I collect them all after a few days, or should I have someone come every day/every other day to collect? Is there a rule of thumb on this?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Hens can lay a clutch of eggs over a two week period, then set on them for three weeks and hatch them. They are still “safe” to eat this entire time. Look up “balut”. I couldn’t get over the YUK! factor myself to eat them but to some people they are a delicacy.

So the answer is as long as bacteria does not get inside, they are “safe” to eat. If they are fertile and it is warm enough to develop some, you may be like me and won’t want to eat them, but they would be safe. Just crack them into a separate bowl before you mix them with anything to check them out. That’s a good practice anyway.

I’d still suggest having someone collect them daily. To me, eggs left in the coop overnight are an invitation to a predator learning they are there. I’d think your coop is pretty predator proof, but unless you have someone coming over to lock them in the coop at night anyway, snakes and rats are hard to keep out.

 

[gilmoujr]

I generally have a friend come and harvest. They get a treat and I get the good feeling that my hens will have of an opportunity peck the eggs and make a mess.

 

[OLD ADOBE]

I just had the same issue. One of my RIR chickens laid one egg on 6/30 then nothing after that. We went out of town on 7/3 and were gone all weekend. When I came home, I had 5 more eggs (2 brown and 3 white)...I immediately put them in the fridge but have no idea how long they were there over the weekend...are they ok to eat?

 

[OLD ADOBE]

I don't know why my computer keeps double posting...I am not double clicking anything...so weird

 

[naglady]

old adobe your eggs are safe to eat..