To refrigerate or not after collection?

[Momma hen in washington]

After collecting my eggs and bring them inside. I leave them on my counter and after twenty days or so I will then put them in my fridge. I read a couple that say u can leave them out just don't wash them until u go to use it. I give my eggs to people and except donations for their food. I have never in two years gotten a complaint nor people who come get some regularly. Then the longest to keep them in the fridge was six months. Never had any around longer then six to eight weeks. What is best to do I'm totally confused as to what is right. Am I doing it all wrong?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I recommend, for reasons of LIABILITY, that you follow the safe handling procedures established by your State, which likely closely parallel the safe handling procedures of the USDA. Loosely, wash, sanitize, air dry, refrigerate.

The EU has looked at the same issue - minimizing contamination and disease in the shell egg supply, and come to radically different solution. Loosely, Wipe clean with a dry cloth, leaving the bloom intact, keep at room temp.

Its not that one or the other is doing bad science, its that they have different initial assumptions. USDA assumes widespread refrigeration, the EU does not.

For your own use, you can do whatever you want, thougth I strongly advise AGAINST "mixing methods" between EU and USDA. The steps they have chosen are important as part of a system - skip a step, wreck the system. For the use of others, however - even if they don't pay for the eggs - the safer thing (legally) to do is to follow the methods established by your state.

[I have assumed you are in Washington, based on your user name, since you don't have a location in your profile. Washington, it turns out, is far more permissive in safe handling procedures than most states.]

 

[3KillerBs]

I agree.

Look up your state's regulation for egg sales and follow them for eggs that will be leaving your household for your own protection just in case something happens.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I keep forgetting about the liability issue. That's a legal thing, not necessarily a science thing. While we are on legality, you might want to check your state or local laws for licensing or inspection requirements. Your volume is probably below any thresholds for any of this but if a problem arises it might be something good to know. Usually that volume is based on money, not number of eggs. Since you are donating them instead of selling them you may be protected by "Good Samaritan" laws. Some states have those, some don't. Any time legal is involved it can be a confusing mess.

The science side of this revolves around bacteria getting inside the egg and multiplying. If you keep the egg below a certain temperature bacteria are not going to multiply, or will multiply so slowly it's not much of an issue. Your refrigerator takes care of that (depending on the actual temperature), countertop doesn't.

About the last thing a hen does when she lays the egg is put a liquid coating on it that we call "bloom". That quickly dries and puts a barrier on the porous egg shell that lets enough air through to the developing embryo but is pretty effective at blocking bacteria from penetrating the egg shell. It is so good that hens can lay eggs for a couple of weeks and then incubate them for three weeks without bacteria getting inside as long as that bloom stays intact. Ducks, turkeys, geese, and such can go longer and often in worse environments. If the integrity of that bloom is breached then bacteria can get in. If you wash the egg, rub or sandpaper dirt off, or even if it has a blob of poop or dried mud on it the integrity can be breached. If your eggs are dirty or you clean them I'd refrigerate them. I don't worry about a light dusting of dirt.

Are your eggs fertile? If they are stored above 80 Fahrenheit or so they can develop some. The warmer they are the faster they develop. They are not going to develop enough to hatch unless you are pretty close to incubation temperature but some of them are tough enough to develop at a temperature below what you'd expect to be possible before they die. I store mine on the counter for as much as a month with the AC set on 78 and haven't had a problem. You'd probably be OK in the low 80's but I don't know what that actual threshold is.

Are you doing anything immoral or unethical the way you are doing it. Not in my opinion. Are you legally in jeopardy? I have no clue. But what you are doing is what I've done.

 

[Farmer Shell]

I agree.

Look up your state's regulation for egg sales and follow them for eggs that will be leaving your household for your own protection just in case something happens.

This is exactly what I was looking for but didn't know it! I knew there had to be something to go by that was more "official."

I'm in MA, and easily found this: SAFE EGG HANDLING FOR BACKYARD EGG PRODUCERS

My chicks are only 5 days old, but feeling much better every day about things!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Excellent. That looks like it will be easy to follow.