Do you wash fresh eggs? Refrigerate or no?

[sheetmetaltom]

don't be confused, I have 8 hens, 5 breeds, my RIR was the 1st to lay, 6 out of 7 days none in the nest box. mine free range in my yard during the day. so naturally they laid as far from the coop as possible. then everyone else started to join in, slowly at 1st. I then just started to put one egg in each nest box (5). they decided they liked 3 of them and that's where they usually lay. every couple of months someone decides to lay outside and one or two hens will lay there also. after a few days they go back to the nest box. they will figure it out pretty easily.now back to the original part of the thread, I don't wash my eggs, I leave them on the counter, I don't sell eggs but do give the majority away to friends. the poopy ones I keep and those I wash when I eat them. otherwise I don't wash any of the eggs.

 

[Chick-Chick Mom]

I keep my eggs on the counter but once in a while I'll get an egg that is laid in the mud...especially this time of year as it's rain season in Florida and oh boy we had lots of rain again this year and when that happens, I'll wash the egg. Those eggs, I will stick in the fridge just because I'm not sure what to do with them and have not found enough info on this to make a sound decision otherwise. I have heard/read some people will coat their eggs with oil (?), if I remember correctly?

Have any of you heard/read of this and do any of you do this?

 

[sueandthe6]

I have been at this now only since march and am learning as I go. I don't wash mine automatically. I don't have a roo anymore- but still collect daily, and store room temp mostly. I give away/sell a lot- and try to only send out ones that are clean. If I need to wash- then I do as I had found instructions to do- water as hot as I can stand it and only my fingers to removed the dirt/poop etc. Not too long ago I had two dozen eggs a friend was supposed to pick up from me. I was away when she came by twice so they sat in my car for a good week if not two. Then I cleaned out the car and they sat outside in the shade for at least another week. I was torn about just throwing them out so decided to crack them and see what kind of condition Id find. I cracked carefully so as to get a feel for what was inside before completely opening them. Out of 2 dozen eggs- 4 were rotted. The rest all were quite useable. I did notice that the yolks seemed a bit fragile- often when I crack open my fresh eggs (fridged or counter kept) the yolk is actually pretty tough to break- I have to really stir vigorously, but these old eggs the yolks broke easily. I was absolutely astounded as I fully expected 2 dozen rotting eggs. Made me less nervous about storing them on the counter. I still fridge most of the ones I plan to sell/ give away sooner rather than later- but its nice to have the actual "experiment" results to prove how stable they are at room (and sometimes hot car) temps. Now if all the molting and broodiness would resolve and I'd actually get some eggs to wash or not wash- Id be happy

 

[sheetmetaltom]

never wash mine and don't refrigerate. in 1 1/2 years I only had 1 bad egg, leaving them out on the counter. used to wash those I gave away but don't anymore. I chuckle when I give them away with a piece of a feather stuck to it.

 

[monstR98]

My oldest brother has had his chickens for about 1 year. We scrub them with the abrasive side of a sponge to clean them (yolk from broken eggs, poop, and dirt), and put them in the fridge. Also you can put mineral oil on them after you wash them. This will mimic how the egg is when it comes straight from the hen. Thus making the eggs able to be stored on the counter. when you buy eggs from the store you have to refrigerate them thats because they wash their eggs very well, and dont add any minneral oil. So i guess its all up to you. Hope it helps!!!


-monstR

 

[AmericanMom]

I sell eating eggs and they always get a wipe down if dirty.. I clean my nesting boxes each morning so the only time I really have to clean them is when or after its rained. I wash eggs before placing them in my fridge, because really, why would I put a crap covered egg in my refrigerator??

I also sell hatching eggs.. Those DO NOT get washed..

I keep up as I said on the nesting boxes so I don't typically have an issue and my customers are fine with them being washed , We also typically don't have eggs longer than a week so again, they aren't sitting around for months.

 

[rocketdoctor]

for the past 5 years Ive never refrigerated our chickens eggs. Our eggs are usually a mess from one of the chickens breaking it or eating it. We just put the dirty egg in a container on the kitchen window ledge and use them when we need to. for awhile I was getting so many eggs that they would go weeks before eating and we never had any issues. Also we have no air conditioning in our house and it stays in the 80s all summer long. If I do wash an egg for some reason then I will refrigerate it.

 

[galanie]

Interestingly, in the UK I understand that eggs for sale must not be washed, nor are they ever refrigerated. They are in cartons on open shelves in the stores there. Really, unless there is poo or something stuck to them I see no reason to wash them. I have been told that only people in the US seem to think all eggs must be washed.

 

[Karenm2257]

If you go to your local farm and feed store they will have plastic eggs ,,or being Easter is almost here . take and place 1 of the one piece eggs in each nest box.... the color shouldn't matter..

 

[bnkea]

I had the same concern of one of my chicks but someone on this site told me that is probably the hen that will lay first and that is exactly what happened!