Can "Poopy" eggs be saved?

[msgenie516]

Hi,

Not often, but sometimes I get an egg that was laid in the wrong place and it is pretty "poopy". I have been cleaning them up with warm water (hoping any bacteria is pushed out of the pores) and using them only when they will be cooked thoroughly, usually for baking. It bothers me to throw away an egg and I was wondering if this is okay? So far, none of us have gotten sick.

I also sell some of my eggs but never the "poopy" ones. I keep them separated so I know which ones they are.

Any advice or suggestions would be helpful! Thanks!

Genie

 

[thechickenchick]

That's what I do. Just separate them and make sure they are used first. I put them in a separate spot and my family knows to look there first. We use eggs everyday so it doesn't sit very long. We have never gotten sick.

 

[muddler6]

I agree too. I normally just wash them off, dry them with a paper towel and put them in the carton with the others. Some folks use sandpaper so they don't take off the "bloom", but I have never had any problems just washing off the nasty stuff.

 

[Southernbelle]

We use poopy eggs, too. I just wash them off or crack on a clean spot. Haven't made anyone sick yet.

 

[Wynette]

I worry about it...so, I wash them off & cook them for my chickens. It's a healthy treat for the hens!

Have you tried putting some fake eggs in the nest boxes? I found golf balls were not convincing enough for my girls, but when I put fake wood eggs in each nest box, I never had one laid on the floor after.

 

[FaereChicken]

Of course they can. I would like to remind everyone that chickens use the same vent for *everything*, and you should wash your eggs whether they look poopy or not.

 

[tim_TX]

The safest method of dealing with dirty eggs is to not wash them until you are ready to use them. The stuff on the outside will not enter the pores unless it is forced through. If you use a small brush under hot running water, the eggs can be safely cleaned and sold.

Remember that we are all exposed to harmful bacteria each day no matter how hard we try to avoid it, yet they fail to harm us. The reason is that its takes a significant load of these single celled creatures to cause a problem. The outside of an egg is not a good environment for bacteria to multiply in, so they can be safely stored in this condition. However, if in the process of washing the egg, you use water that is not 10-20 degrees warmer than the egg, or you rub them, the bacteria can enter through the pores and then they have a very nice environment for multiplying.

 

[JessaLynn]

Quote:
Me too! When DH isn't looking cuz he always has a fit when he sees a dirty egg and me cracking it open on the clean spot.HA HA! If the egg is to badly covered in poo or yolk from another breaking I pitch them.I get 2 doz a day so we have plenty.

 

[cherig22]

Quote:
No, you should not wash your eggs because they all use the same exit for everything. Most eggs will not have anything on them, and the ones that do are protected for the most part by the bloom.

I leave my eggs just as I find them. I tell my buyers that they can rinse them just before they use them. Or not. But if you 'wash' them, you are removing the bloom and reducing the time that they will stay fresh.

This is a problem, and you can introduce bacteria to the eggs by washing. If the egg is washed the difference in temperature will suck in bacteria. Hot to cold, or cold to hot.

I tell my buyers to float them if they want to, and I tell my buyers about the chance of bacteria being 'sucked' into the egg.

Cheri

 

[cwc362]

The ones that are really , really bad I keep separate and boil and feed them back to the chickens or the dogs. The others I just wipe off when I get ready to use them.