I have eggs!! How often to collect them?

[USAmma]

Yeah! Just sharing my joy! Thanks for helping me with all my 1000 questions from the time I got my day old chicks until I got my first eggs today. Five of them.

So how long can they sit without going bad (i.e. how often do I need to go out and collect eggs each day?).

 

[hosspak]

Yeah! Just sharing my joy! Thanks for helping me with all my 1000 questions from the time I got my day old chicks until I got my first eggs today. Five of them.

So how long can they sit without going bad (i.e. how often do I need to go out and collect eggs each day?).

I check in the morning and right before I leave for work just before it gets dark. Grab whatever is there.

 

[TwoCrows]

It really depends on what you plan on doing with the eggs. If you plan on incubating them, it is best to collect them as soon as possible so they are not exposed to too much heat, cold or jostling around. If you plan on only eating them, as long as they are not getting overly hot, or frozen, eggs can sit outside for quite a long time, as in days, and still be edible.

 

[ggschulz]

I'm still a newbie, but I have 9 Coturnix (8 female) in a 2' x 3' rabbit pen with a straw "nesting box" and a dust bath in the corner, and I collect as quickly as possible. I left out of town one night, and they either broke or ate 2/3 of them. Mine tend to lay in the mid to late afternoon, and as I long as I get them before the next morning, I'm fine. Mine get goofy if they wake up with eggs around...

 

[James the Bald]

It's a great feeling! Just warning you... you're going to want to start hatching more eggs... that's a normal feeling... just go with it... it's the FEVER! Quail fever!
James

 

[USAmma]

It's a great feeling! Just warning you... you're going to want to start hatching more eggs... that's a normal feeling... just go with it... it's the FEVER! Quail fever!
James

Thanks all.

I have only females so it would be hard to hatch them. ;-) But one of my hens is "broody" and was sitting nicely on her egg in the corner of the roosting box. I feel sorry for taking her egg-- maybe I'll give her a fake one to make her feel better.

I also got a membrane-covered egg today with no shell, but yolk inside. Probably someone's first attempt at laying. I got four more eggs today not including the weird one.

 

[TwoCrows]

Quote: Make sure to offer up crushed oyster shell for hard shells and to prevent egg binding.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

I collect several times a day for various reasons. If it's super cold, I don't want them to freeze. I also don't want to encourage anyone to go broody at this time of year so I get eggs out of there ASAP. It's my understanding that those prone to going broody can be further encouraged to do so by seeing and sitting on large clutches of eggs. Another reason I collect several times a day is I don't want eggs laying around to encourage egg-eaters. I've not had that problem but didn't want to give anyone an opportunity.

My #1 reason for checking on and collecting eggs several times a day is . . . IT'S FUN!! I love going out to look and visiting with the girls.

 

[quailswiss]

I promised my kids the first egg for whoever spotted it first. My daughter (6) proceeded to sit in front of the pens for 1.5 hrs. She got the first egg.

Since my hens stopped laying my husband pointed out that he only ever got a single egg in the month and a half... the kids got there first.