Absorbtion factor of eggs?

[mrcman]

I've read that eggs are somewhat porous and do absorb moisture somewhat. I have a hen that lays an egg every morning from her roost onto the poop board. If I don't find it broken from the fall I will find it in a load of poop, cushoined from the fall. Is the egg going to absorb enough fecal matter to cause any harm? Freinds and neighbors do get eggs from us and I want our eggs to be safe.

Thanks

 

[redsoxs]

They are porous but I think it's more about air exchange...but bacteria can enter. I wash mine that get soiled with a commercial egg wash from my local farm and ranch. Never had a problem getting sick. Good luck to you!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree. The purpose for the porosity is air exchange for the developing chick, but it being porous gives bacteria an avenue to enter, especially if it is in poop and even more so if that poop is damp. I wash those off under warm running water and put them in the refrigerator. I eat those myself and have never gotten sick from them either.

I don’t give those to other people. It’s not that I think they are not safe. I just would not feel comfortable doing it. I know enough to sniff them to see if they have started to go off. That rotten egg smell is pretty straightforward though I’ve never smelled it from these eggs.

 

[animallover505]

No, the eggs are covered in bloom. The eggs are safe/

 

[Ridgerunner]

Then why do dirty eggs that have never been washed sometimes explode in incubators from the bacteria that gets inside the egg?

The bloom is a barrier that helps reduce the ability of the bacteria to enter through the shell. It does a really good job, but it is not perfect.

 

[donrae]

I've had eggs that were setting in poop or a broken egg that got very stinky. I wash them and eat them, they're fine. I'm not a washer usually, but those are the exception.