Found a cache of eggs

[cleoppa]

Bad chickies are laying them around the yard. So... don't know how old they are and it's been mighty hot here. I doubt they're more than a couple days old, though.

I know if you don't clean the eggs, they have a protective layer. But if you find an egg in your yard, how do you know if it's still edible?

 

[HappyHazel]

Put the eggs in cool water. Any that sink are fresh. Barely floating are ok. All floating have gone bad. When you crack them open you should still make sure they look and smell ok though!

 

[donrae]

Put the eggs in cool water. Any that sink are fresh. Barely floating are ok. All floating have gone bad. When you crack them open you should still make sure they look and smell ok though!

This is what I do. I also designate those eggs to be used next and be sure to crack them into bowls or something just in case. I've found hidden nests a lot when the girls ranged and rarely had a bad one.

As a tip-- if your birds are still able to lay in this place, leave an egg or two there. Mark them with a sharpie or similar and consider those sacrifice eggs. They will mark the nest for the hen and she will be more likely to continue laying there. When I'd clean out the nest my girls would lose interest and find somewhere else to lay, and the hunt was on again!