Can I still eat these eggs?

[ericanicole806]

We are newer chicken owners and this is our first winter with our small flock.

We haven't had eggs from our 5 hens for probably 8 weeks now. We haven't checked for eggs much because of it, just peek in here and there a couple times a week. But, went out to the coop this morning and found 8 eggs buried in the pine shavings throughout the coop (we were only getting 1 to 2 a day total before that).

The eggs stay sunk in water, but are they safe to eat? We do have a rooster, so what are the chances he already fertilized them?

 

[Isadora]

Crack one open and see how it looks/smells.

 

[NatJ]

For each egg, crack it into a bowl. Look and sniff. If it seems normal, you can cook it and eat it. This works for all eggs, at all times.

If the rooster has been mating with the hens, the eggs probably are fertile. But it is fine to eat fertile eggs.

In a fertile egg, no chick develops unless the egg is incubated (kept warm) in an incubator or under a broody hen. Since your eggs have not been incubated, you will probably not be able to tell whether they are fertile or not-- which is fine, because they are safe to eat either way.

 

[ericanicole806]

You guys are awesome! This is reassuring!

Going to make an egg pizza casserole tonight to use them up fast if they check out. Thank you!

P.S. - it's a keto recipe and really tasty. With the price of eggs now, it's like eating gold.