Broody chicken ruining my eating eggs???

[PurpleChicken]

Any thoughts on how long it takes for a broody to ruin an egg?

My broody Australorp has been sitting on some eggs that are 3
days old and not fertile. How quick do I need to get the eggs out
of the coop before her body heat ruins them or just makes them
yucky?

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Can you define ruined or "yucky?" What are you imagining here?

You'll be surprised to know that infertile eggs are recommended for consumption when taken from a broody at the 7 day point. Remove the eggs one or two at a time, at night while the broody is dozing quietly, and candle them. Any clears can be removed, then.

BTW, when I said consumption - I meant yours. Whod've guessed?

 

[PurpleChicken]

Thanks Dave. I am surprised to hear you can take an infertle egg away
that long after cooking under a hens butt. I guess the ones under her
today are fine then.

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
This is old advice. People, then, didnt have our squemishness about such things, I guess...

 

[Southernbelle]

I probably wouldn't, PC. I won't eat an egg that's been under a broody for 24 hours, but mine are fertile and they say that's how long it takes to kick the process into gear. I seem to remember a chart in one of my Animal Science classes showing how long an egg lasts at certain temps and at 100 deg, it was like 2 days. I'd toss 'em and get them faster next time.

 

[PurpleChicken]

Yeah, that's sorta what I was thinking. I don't collect eggs
every day, mostly out of lazyness and lack of time. Plus
I have more eggs than I know what to do with. The eggs
under the broody will be steamed and fed to the dogs, quail,
and fryer roos.

 

[Southernbelle]

That sounds better. I think Dave was yanking your chain

 

[PurpleChicken]

Dave and I are both guys. As long as it's not green and doesn't smell
like sulphur we'd eat it.

 

[Southernbelle]

What was I thinking?

Well, CT is a bit of a drive for me, so I won't be visiting you in the hospital, but I could send you a nice flower arrangement.

Send some of those eggs to Dave - by the time he gets them, it'll be 7 days and just about right for him.

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
When I was in the NAVY, the rule of thumb for both coffee and milk was that if there were no solid 'floaties', it was fine.

Seriously, it has been recommended in the past that 7 days for eggs is not too long. People here at BYC, in fact, will tell you can keep eggs laying around on the countertop for untold lengths of time before consumption.

I've even read that throughout the hatch, any clears - as late as day 18 - could be used for adding into breads, cakes, puddings and so on without ill effect. Waste not, want not, folks

Our modern notions about holding times and so on has as much to do with the widespread availability of refrigeration as anything else. Before THAT technology was common place, people managed just fine doing things well, shall we say... differently?

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If eggs that are a couple of days old unbalances your carefully ordered sensibilities, don't even ask me to explain preserving eggs in water glass...