Egg color coming off?

[keeperofthehearth]

I have some Barnevelders who are supposed to lay dark brown colored eggs. The color is coming off when I wash them.

They aren't as dark as I thought they'd be in the first place and I try letting them "set" which helps some but not always or everywhere on the egg so I end up getting a mottled or smeared looking egg color which looks like I tried dying my eggs but didn't do a good job.

If the pine bark sticks to the egg it marrs the color where it stuck. It doesn't hurt the internal quality of the egg but I sell them and they look down right messy.
Has anyone else had this problem with dark brown egg layers? Is there anything I can do to help alleviate this problem?

 

[jab91864]

Yes, the color does come off some when you scrub.

I try to let my eggs soak a bit in a light sudsy water before washing. I think it lessens the scrubbing factor and stuff comes off a bit easier. I also try not to use the scrubber side of the sponge when doing my dark brown eggs.

I'm sure someone will come along that has a goof proof method.

Best of luck

 

[ranchhand]

Hmmmm- I don't know about how dark the eggs "should" be- but I would get the pine bark out of there. I use wheat straw, a lot of people use pine shavings. The pine shavings don't include the bark. Pine bark, when boiled, makes a nice brown dye- that would account for part of the problem..

I never wash eggs with soap! Egg shells are very porous and soak up everything! Soap flavored eggs.. bleh. The ones that get poo on them are kept- I scrub them under cold water with a soft nailbrush just before using. If they soak in the water, they get waterlogged. The clean ones are given away or sold.

Eggs are coated, as they are laid, with a natural "bloom", which helps protect them against bacteria. Removing the bloom allows faster deterioration and drying out.

 

[jab91864]

Never had a soapy tasting egg and the emphasis should be on light soapy mix... a tiny squirt in a bucket doesn't count for much soap.
I've read of ppl who use a bleach solution. Everyone has a different opinion and method.

 

[IN-farmgirl]

The following is from Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, by Gail Damerow:

"If your nests are properly designed and managed, eggs should be clean when you collect them. A slightly dirty egg may be brushed off or rubbed with fine grain sandpaper. A seriously dirty egg may be rinsed in water that's slightly warmer than the egg (cooler water may force bacteria through the shell into the egg). Dry each egg before placing in the carton. Avoid getting into the habit of routinely washing eggs, since water rinses off the natural bloom that helps preserve freshness."

She also suggests storing eggs pointed end down so the yuolks are nicely centered.

As a rule, I keep my nest box clean and don't wash eggs unless they are dirty, which doesn't happen very often!

 

[corancher]

Yes. The color does come off when scrubbed. A friend of mine says the Maran eggs also have the color come off when scrubbed.

 

[keeperofthehearth]

Hmmmm- I don't know about how dark the eggs "should" be- but I would get the pine bark out of there. I use wheat straw, a lot of people use pine shavings. The pine shavings don't include the bark. Pine bark, when boiled, makes a nice brown dye- that would account for part of the problem..

Sorry about that . .. I use pine shavings. The last batch happened to be really fluffy fine stuff and stuck to the eggs pretty bad . I changed that out a few days ago to some that is more coarse and hope that will help with the "sticking to the egg" problem.
I understand the bloom bit, that said, I generally do a quick dip under the tap in warm water if the eggs aren't dirty. Dry on a towel and into the egg carton & frig. the same day. I've been known to wash dried on dirty eggs with a quick squirt and rubdown of foaming antibactireal soap and a good rinse under hot water & haven't found them to absorb any odd flavor. I prefer just warm or hot water for the most part. I have a friend who's husband works for the gov. inspecting battery operations and they personally always make a light bleach solution and dip their eggs in it. I haven't brought myself to do that, though bleach is a great disinfectant. I have this, no doubt incorrect, picture of bleach absorbing quickly into the egg shell & into my food .

 

[keeperofthehearth]

Maybe I need to replace the pine shavings w/ nice soft fabric pillows!

That shouldn't stick and marr the color finish. I could take the pillow out of the nest boxes and wash them when they get dirty. hmmmmmm! I had an EE, Tess, discover the dog house, seldom used, and lay a pretty clutch of 6 blue eggs on the soft doggy bed mat before I found them.