Clean eggs??

[Renigeid]

So! How do you keep your eggs clean? Clean nests I know, but other?

Jim

 

[Colored Egg Farmer]

Make sure the chickens are clean...

 

[ashyannehand]

I usually just wipe mine off with a damp sponge if they are dirty. If they are really a mess then I actually wet the egg itself and use the sponge. I then allow them to dry completly before putting them in cartons.

My girls always make a mess with their dirty feet since they free range a lot. They can be pretty gross at times!

Good luck!

 

[ashyannehand]

By the way, in case no one has told you -

 

[WoodlandWoman]

If you keep them in a run that's muddy and it's causing a problem, then you can put down a layer of sand. That can help for mud streaks on eggs.

Keeping the litter fairly clean or at least a sprinkling of clean litter on the top, if you are doing deep litter, will keep them from getting such poopy feet as they walk through the coop.

Are you having a particular problem with your eggs?

 

[Chicabee19]

You really don't want to wash the eggs. They have a coating called a 'bloom', which protects the interior from bacteria.

Wiping with a dry or slightly-damp cloth, or using a 250 grit sandpaper for the worst spots works great.

If an egg needs to be washed, best to do it right before cracking it.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

We rarely get a dirty egg. If an egg needs to get washed, I just put it in the carton to be used next, rather than in the usual spot in the rotation. It goes in front of the oldest eggs, not in back of the freshest eggs. That way, I'm not storing an egg without the bloom.

 

[2manyhats]

Quote:
Good idea, Woodland. I'll do that, too.

 

[Renigeid]

Quote:
Nope, mine aren't laying yet. In a couple more weeks, I hope.

Thanks for the advice. Jim

 

[Chicabee19]

In the olden days....

they used a very light grade sandpaper to get off the worst bits. It was a huge no-no to wash an egg.