I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned the walk to the nest box...
Since having some trouble with dirty eggs this spring, I began keeping bales of wheat straw handy. I keep straw everywhere the chickens are enclosed. When there is much rain, I liberally sprinkle additional straw in the area around the approach to the nest boxes. I have also tried to dry in as much of the run as I can with a tarp. I have two old sets of aluminium comercial banks of nest boxes. If they were hung up higher and had their perches still intact on them I feel that I'd have less problem as the chickens would wipe their feet somewhat by grasping the perch right before entering the box. The welcome mat so to speak. I think the more nest boxes the better too, because I think there are always messier eggs in a batch than a single...they step on the previous eggs, not their own.
I am under the impression (from reading online) that store bought eggs are actually washed. Sometimes I wash mine in antibacterial soap if they are really bad (so shoot me!) I'm not marketing commercially, giving most to friends and family. I tell people to eat them soon if I wash them. I also put washed eggs in a separate carton and mark it. Even when the eggs aree pristine clean, I tell them they are unwashed (and why) and they need to wash them before using. It grosses people out even if the eggs are clean to think they are unwashed.
Interesting to read that you actually tested the theory of washing vs not!! Cool!
I once kept eggs in a refrigerator (probably unwashed...I try not to wash them or if I do I wash and use them quick) for months and months...just had alot and had an extra fridge. I cracked them, cooked them and fed them to my dogs. They seemed fine to me (smelled fine, looked fine) and the dogs lived (and appreciated it!)!
I had an old book that said to store eggs for long periods (months?) in a barrel. You first dip the eggs in "isinglass" whatever that is, I think you can still maybe get it at a drug store. then you layer eggs in sawdust, small end down, layer by layer fill the thing. Never tried it but wanted to! Back when the fear was the 9-9-99 thing, we were checking out all the possibilities for food preservation. Now with everything going crazy, gas prices up, food prices up, we all need to be thrifty...I'm looking up all my old info!
Since having some trouble with dirty eggs this spring, I began keeping bales of wheat straw handy. I keep straw everywhere the chickens are enclosed. When there is much rain, I liberally sprinkle additional straw in the area around the approach to the nest boxes. I have also tried to dry in as much of the run as I can with a tarp. I have two old sets of aluminium comercial banks of nest boxes. If they were hung up higher and had their perches still intact on them I feel that I'd have less problem as the chickens would wipe their feet somewhat by grasping the perch right before entering the box. The welcome mat so to speak. I think the more nest boxes the better too, because I think there are always messier eggs in a batch than a single...they step on the previous eggs, not their own.
I am under the impression (from reading online) that store bought eggs are actually washed. Sometimes I wash mine in antibacterial soap if they are really bad (so shoot me!) I'm not marketing commercially, giving most to friends and family. I tell people to eat them soon if I wash them. I also put washed eggs in a separate carton and mark it. Even when the eggs aree pristine clean, I tell them they are unwashed (and why) and they need to wash them before using. It grosses people out even if the eggs are clean to think they are unwashed.
Interesting to read that you actually tested the theory of washing vs not!! Cool!
I once kept eggs in a refrigerator (probably unwashed...I try not to wash them or if I do I wash and use them quick) for months and months...just had alot and had an extra fridge. I cracked them, cooked them and fed them to my dogs. They seemed fine to me (smelled fine, looked fine) and the dogs lived (and appreciated it!)!
I had an old book that said to store eggs for long periods (months?) in a barrel. You first dip the eggs in "isinglass" whatever that is, I think you can still maybe get it at a drug store. then you layer eggs in sawdust, small end down, layer by layer fill the thing. Never tried it but wanted to! Back when the fear was the 9-9-99 thing, we were checking out all the possibilities for food preservation. Now with everything going crazy, gas prices up, food prices up, we all need to be thrifty...I'm looking up all my old info!
