Egg Care

[OliveandherHens]

Hi everyone! My girls just started laying and my daughter and I are super excited. Just a few questions about the eggs: how long are they good for on my counter/in the roost? Basically, not refrigerated. Also, should I rinse them with cold water? If you have any other tips, please let me know!!! Thank you! Sorry if these are terribly stupid questions, haha. :/

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Never rinse in cold water as it will drive bacteria into the eggs, if you're storing them on the counter don't wash them until you use them, wash eggs in as hot of water as possible only scrubbing if there is dirt or you plan to use them right away.

I personally hot water wash them only rubbing if necessary than I refrigerate. Since I never leave them out I can't answer how long they can stay out.

 

[aart]

It's about the physics of temperature differential.....
....the wash water doesn't need to be really hot, just significantly warmer than the egg itself,
so the egg content expands rather than contracts.
Contraction can pull any 'bugs' on the shell surface thru the shell pores to the inside of the egg.

I collect eggs daily so they don't get trod upon (with dirty chicken feet) any longer than necessary,
letting eggs pileup in then nest for days increases the chances of breakage. I keep the on the counter for up to about 2 weeks, they get eaten or sold before then. Eggs will stay fresher longer if refrigerated rather than counter stored, but not sure how long.

If an egg is very soiled I'll either cook it up shell and all and feed back to birds or wash it right away and refrigerate for my own use, but that's pretty rare.

 

[7littlegirls]

I don't wash my eggs. Every once in a while I will get a soiled egg and I scramble it with some oregano and back to the girls it goes