How long can you leave eggs sitting on on the counter?

[P0U1TRYP3RS0N]

Our 4 year old hens (who..well...shall we say..were a little too crowded and didnt get quite enough when they were young and should have been laying) have started LAYING LIKE CRAZY, DESPITE THE SNOW, RAIN, ETC.
After filling the incubator (i swear...these are like bionic chickens) , still have lots left over for eating. But in the last week, I've noticed my mother keeps putting them in a bowl on the counter, and not refrigerating them. Between classes and work, I havent really had a chance to ask her what she's doing, and so theyve kept accumulating. Today she's trying to bake a bunch of things for Easter guests tomorrow and I freaked out--some of those eggs have to be a 1+ week old! ARE THEY STILL SAFE TO EAT AFTER A WEEK ON THE KITCHEN COUNTER????

 

[fowltemptress]

Oh, they'll still be good for much longer than that. I don't refrigerate my eggs because it's easier for cooking. I believe the United States and Canada are the only two countries that sell refrigerated eggs, actually. My SO has been to 28 different countries, and those are the only two where he's seen refrigerated eggs being sold. As long as there isn't big temperature fluctuations, eggs will last just fine for at least a month. Calm down and don't worry about it at all.

ETA - If she washed the eggs before putting them on the counter, though, that would be bad. You never want to wash eggs that you don't plan on refrigerating.

 

[Dixiedoodle]

If the eggs haven't been refrig. before (left out ) they should be alright. I know chefs who will not refg. eggs.. Saying once they are cold they begin to loose their nutrients.... Many recipes ask for room temp eggs. We lived overseas for years and NO one refg. their eggs.. They have huge bowls of eggs on their counters in plain site--they also do not wash their eggs...

 

[TinaK]

I'll give you an example of store purchased eggs in Australia!!!

Ours are NEVER sold from the fridge... you buy them off the shelves!!

I purchased a carton last night from the supermarket.. (as my pullets are not laying yet!!).. the 'best before' date is the 1st of May 2010... It's currently the 4th of April... and I am sure that I didn't buy them they day they were packaged

My best mate who is a chef lives by these 'egg' rules - They will last 3 months in the fridge compared to 3 weeks on the shelf.... (but clearly, based on the 'best before' date of my newly purchased eggs.. they last much longer than 3 weeks unrefigerated!!!)

Hope that is of 'some' help

 

[dieselgrl48]

Not sure.We had RIR's and all the eating egg's were cleaned and put in fridge same day as layed.Hatching egg's were ok on counter for a couple day's if they were to be shipped.Personaly I wouldn't eat an egg that has been sitting on a countertop for 7 day's but's that's My opinin only

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[digitS']

I also wash and put eggs in the fridge, daily.

However, these are fertile eggs, anyway. Think about how long a hen would take to lay out a clutch and begin setting . . . then 21 days to hatch. From the moment the hen began laying, the eggs are there in the nest. The eggs cannot, normally, begin to decay during that time or chickens would be extinct.

I doubt if a nest is as sanitary as your mother's counter.

Still, I'll bring the eggs in, wash them with hot water and a simple soap, and put them in the fridge. And, one of the best reasons to have laying hens is fresh eggs. If they aren't eaten right away, I'll think of some other use for them.

Steve