Eat or toss?

[savannahm0m]

We went out of town for 5 days. Our neighbors looked after our birds, but didn't collect eggs. Came home to about 18 eggs that had been sitting out for up to 5 days in 90+ degree temps. Now I don't refrigerate my eggs, but a little hesitant to eat or sell? I won't put in trash, but might end up cracking and cooking for the birds. Thanks for your insight!

 

[bobbi-j]

We went out of town for 5 days. Our neighbors looked after our birds, but didn't collect eggs. Came home to about 18 eggs that had been sitting out for up to 5 days in 90+ degree temps. Now I don't refrigerate my eggs, but a little hesitant to eat or sell? I won't put in trash, but might end up cracking and cooking for the birds. Thanks for your insight!

Do you have a rooster? Those temps are high enough to have started development. If those developing eggs have died and you open them, it may not be pleasant... Personally, rooster or not, I'd just dump them. Why take a chance on food poisoning? I don't refrigerate my eggs, either, but I at those temps, I wouldn't risk it. A popular saying in Food Management is, "If in doubt, throw it out!" These eggs would have me "in doubt."

 

[Beekissed]

I'm assuming these eggs were in the nests, which tends to insulate them from a lot of the heat of the day. I'd not throw them out at all....crack one open, give it a sniff, give it a look, see if it looks normal. There's nothing to poison the inside of an egg or nary a chick would be hatched...think about it, those eggs sit around in a nest for days until she gets a clutch big enough, then she sits on them for three more weeks at temps of 100 and out pops a perfectly healthy chick that's been sipping on that yolk all that time.

Egg look too runny? Yolk bursts as soon as you drop it in the bowl and has a weird color or consistency? Have a bad smell? Toss it. I'm doubting you'll find a single one that fits that description.

 

[savannahm0m]

I'm assuming these eggs were in the nests, which tends to insulate them from a lot of the heat of the day.  I'd not throw them out at all....crack one open, give it a sniff, give it a look, see if it looks normal.  There's nothing to poison the inside of an egg or nary a chick would be hatched...think about it, those eggs sit around in a nest for days until she gets a clutch big enough, then she sits on them for three more weeks at temps of 100 and out pops a perfectly healthy chick that's been sipping on that yolk all that time. 

Egg look too runny?  Yolk bursts as soon as you drop it in the bowl and has a weird color or consistency?  Have a bad smell?  Toss it.  I'm doubting you'll find a single one that fits that description. 

That makes made feel better. No rooster, so no chance in cracking a partially developed egg. I'll cook some for the birds and if they look ok then I'll consider keeping. I've had a rotten egg before... There's no mistaking those!

 

[ChickenLegs13]

They will probably be just fine but I crack any egg I eat into a separate bowl and check it out before I use it. I sell eggs and wouldn't sell any that had sat in the nest for 5 days @ those temps with dozens of chickens jumping in & out.

 

[bobbi-j]

That makes made feel better. No rooster, so no chance in cracking a partially developed egg. I'll cook some for the birds and if they look ok then I'll consider keeping. I've had a rotten egg before... There's no mistaking those!

Then I'd be more likely to crack them open. I've had rotten eggs before, too.

I prefer not to go through that again...