Dumb newbie question about OUR FIRST EGGS!!

[lceh]

My DD just went our to check on her bantam girls and found not 1, not 2, but 7 (!!!) eggs! This is the first time we've found eggs from our eight 18-week-old hens. It was like a treasure hunt out there. Clearly some of those eggs must've been laid a day or two before and just missed by DD, since there were 5 EE eggs and we only have 2 EEs. Anyway, how long do eggs remain edible at outside (summer) temps? Will we know immediately if they are bad? If they don't smell like rotten eggs, does that mean they're safe to eat? These are our first eggs ever, so I'm a complete newbie at egg collection and storage! I don't want to make my kids sick by giving them eggs that were collected too late....

By the way, here's a pic. DD's so excited that the EE eggs are a beautiful shade of pale greenish-blue (the pic doesn't do them justice) -- beautiful!

 

[chickenbottom]

fill up your sink and put the eggs in it and if they float they are bad if they sink they are fine.

 

[HorseFeathers]

If you are afraid your eggs are bad, put them in water. Those that float are bad.

But seriously, the eggs you get at the grocery store are WEEKS old. Your eggs are probably fine.

 

[chickenbottom]

Quote:
i was a minute faster MUAHAHAHAHAHA and yes store bought eggs are a lot older than those

 

[lceh]

Thank you both! I'll give them a float before I use them for our celebratory supper of coddled bantam eggs.

It was the outdoor temps that worried me. I figured those weeks-old grocery store eggs were at least refrigerated promptly, but I guess they aren't...? Ugh!

This is so fun!! I keep wanting to run out there every half hour to see if there's another one. Unfortunately I didn't think to put ping-pong balls in the nest boxes until this morning, so the eggs were everywhere. Hopefully they'll figure out where to lay them soon.

 

[fhdogs]

You could always just break the eggs into a small dish (not mixing with the previous egg). You'll know real quick if if it's bad.

 

[Judy]

In Europe, eggs are sold off the shelf, not refrigerated. In the old days around here, people kept them in a bowl on the counter, and this was often without air conditioning.

I'm sure they will be delicious.

 

[naturegirl]

I read in Mother Earth News that eggs remain edible up to 90 days at room temp, but you should leave the bloom on the egg, so do not wash them until you are ready to eat them. CONGRATS!!!

 

[HorseFeathers]

Quote:
i was a minute faster MUAHAHAHAHAHA and yes store bought eggs are a lot older than those

I gave a better reply!

 

[Judy]

Quote:
i was a minute faster MUAHAHAHAHAHA and yes store bought eggs are a lot older than those

I gave a better reply!

You guys are just twisted....