4 eggs in coop...have a couple of questions

[bluemongoose]

My chickens started laying sooner than expected. So, the nest boxes were not in yet, and they are still eating medicated chick feed.

I had one last bag to get through, and I thought I still had a couple of weeks.

Q. 1) Can we eat the eggs if the chickens are eating medicated chicken feed? (this kind http://poultry.purinamills.com/OURPRODUCTS/Products/StartGrow/default.aspx ) There is only a bit left in their feeder, and then we were going to switch it out.

Q. 2) I am not sure how long the eggs have been there (the nest was off in a corner). Weather here has been in the upper 70's-lower 80's. Is there a way to find out if they are still ok, or too old to safely eat? 3 were cool and 1 was very warm, like freshly laid.

I went ahead a put them in the fridge, but I dont want to eat them if it is not safe....

thanks!

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
I wouldn't eat them until they're off the medicated feed (which ordinarily is recommended at about 8 weeks old). BTW: That link doesn't appear to be for medicated starter (unless I read it too quickly and missed it) so, if they're just on STARTER/GROWER, the eggs would be fine to eat.

 

[gryeyes]

Some people will be horrified and say "NO! Don't eat those eggs!" but I'm not one of them. It's just a bit of stuff to keep the chicks from getting cocci.

And put the eggs in water; if they sink, they're good - if they float, they're bad.

Eggs do not need to be refrigerated to be safe, even for a couple of weeks on a kitchen counter. I bet those 3 eggs are no more than 4 days old, and they'll be good.

 

[bluemongoose]

Water checked them....they all sunk. So I guess that means I am good there.

The bag said starter/grower feed until they are laying and then switch...but it also says medicated. The link is the same as the one I have, but it comes in medicated and not medicated (they don't show both bags in the pic). Our store only had the medicated. I didnt know about the flock raiser being an option until last week. I though it was only for meat birds and I have younger chicks with my now laying pullets, so I didnt want to put only layena in there.

So I suppose I should dump out the rest of the chick starter now, and just deal with the loss of that amount of food?

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
Now that they're laying, they need the different nutritional requirements in the layer ration. Plus it's a good idea to give them some oyster shell, free-choice in the coop so they can take it when they need it. It'll keep their shells nice and hard.

 

[bluemongoose]

Yep, have the oyster shell. That will be going out there tonight.