Egg questions for new chicken owners:

[nadiamaria3]

I am new to being a chicken owner. I have a total of 4 chickens (3 red sexlinks & 1 we don’t know what she is) they are all 20 weeks old & just started laying eggs about a week ago (all are brown egg layers). We have always wanted to eat fresh eggs & stop buying eggs, but now that we are starting that process, we have a couple of questions.

1) I don’t want to keep our eggs in room temp, I’d prefer to store them in the fridge. I have been running the eggs through water briefly, wiping the egg...to clean it. Then storing them in the fridge. Is this right?

2) Is there a waiting period before you should eat the egg, once it’s been laid? May be a stupid question but, I had to ask.

3) Is it safe for toddlers to eat “fresh” eggs?

4) Is it safe to eat only fresh eggs & not buy store bought? I know, another dumb question...

I think this should do it for my egg questions, any help or advice in addition to my questions would be great!

 

[Madie'sOddFlock]

1) This is the way we do it so I hope this isn't wrong!
2) Occasionally we eat eggs a matter of hours after they've been laid. We're fine... so far.
3 & 4) I really don't think that fresh eggs are any worse than store-bought eggs. In fact, they're supposed to be better for everyone.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I don't wash eggs so am unfamiliar with the exact process. Is it warm water or cold? Couldn't tell you but one can drive bacteria into the egg. If you wash eggs use the right water temp-look it up. I'm all about letting the bloom on eggs keep you safe. Kept on counter or in fridge the bloom is nature's protection of the egg. Washed eggs must be immediately refrigerated.

There is nothing in an egg that will hurt a toddler. If/when you treat for parasites look up if there is a period of time you should not eat eggs after treatment. Could be no time, could be a week or more you'd discard all eggs until the treatment is out of system.

Other than that enjoy. It's an egg. Depending on what the birds have for forage your yolks can get bright orange in summer then late winter if you get a lot of snow the yolks are as pale as store bought due to no insects or grasses/weeds to eat.

 

[jolenesdad]

You’re about to become addicted. My toddler has a fresh egg every single day, I cleared it with the doctor but He has been having eggs for breakfast since 8 months old and has a whole one just about each day now.

If we go out of town or out to eat he will not eat the eggs... it’s pretty funny.

The issues come from dirty eggs. Make sure your nest boxes are small to discourage just hanging out in them and also prevent standing in them and most of the time they’ll stay clean. Just make sure you and your toddler wash your hands after handling eggs, and right away if they’re dirty.

I usually just separate my dirties and every few days give them back to the chickens scrambled and wash them all at once. I don’t wash and refrigerate the eggs that are not dirty. Even when I had just six chickens it was too many in the fridge anyway!

I’ve eaten multiple eggs right after being laid, but have never thought about it, imnsure because I don’t refrigerate them it never crossed my mind.

 

[ChickNanny13]

1) If you prefer to do it the way you are, continue as it's not "wrong" but wash in warm water not cold. Cold water draws the egg in away from the shell, hence said to draw in any bacteria on the shell. When washing/rinsing & wiping you're removing the "bloom" that protects the egg from absorbing through the shell. Egg shells are porous.

I don't wash my eggs, collect until a carton is full then store in the fridge, washing w/ tap water (it's already cold from the fridge) before I cook. Some don't even wash. I've been lucky, the hens I have now lay clean eggs although have had the last hens have some messy eggs. I'd just dry wipe & wash, stick in the fridge & use them first.

2) No waiting period to eat eggs

3) Yup, kids can eat

4) Yup, safe to eat ONLY fresh eggs.
FYI - Fresh eggs are great for baking but if you plan on boiling, beware there is a method. I learned boiling fresh eggs is impossible to peel the shells off clean! So one way I've read here - Bring water to full boil. Add heaping tsp of baking soda (I didn't). Gently add eggs. time 12 - 14 minutes. Remove & drop in ice water. Works but I keep a dozen store bought eggs in the fridge for when I want boiled eggs

EDITED - I recently switched out my hens & starting again, having to purchase eggs. We can tell the difference in looks & taste, Hubby's impatient with these new girls. I only have 4 so I switch out every 2yrs. Don't want to deal with integrating so we have to deal with this growing period

 

[rosemarythyme]

1) I prefer refrigerating my eggs but I usually don't wash them. If I do wash them, I wash right before using, with lukewarm water and a scrub brush (one only being used for eggs) if needed.

2) Nope. I've grabbed a freshly laid egg and had it cooked 5 minutes later. It doesn't taste "fresher" or anything, but I had to try it for the novelty.

3 & 4) Home grown eggs that are stored properly should be just as safe as any store eggs. You might find occasional inclusions inside or the shells might not look perfectly flawless, but that doesn't make it any less edible.

 

[nadiamaria3]

Wow! Thank you very much for all your help! I haven’t always used warm water when washing so that I will have to change immediately.
As for my little one, He has eaten eggs since he was able to eat solid foods. I’ve never heard of anyone getting sick eating only fresh eggs, but, this is my first time with chickens, so I thought I would just ask.

I had a separator in the nest box & all 4 chickens would hide/snuggle in 1 nest box, so I removed it to give them more room. Was that a bad move? All my eggs have been laid somewhere inside the nest box, except one egg was laid on the bottom floor opposite their food & water area.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I had a separator in the nest box & all 4 chickens would hide/snuggle in 1 nest box, so I removed it to give them more room. Was that a bad move? All my eggs have been laid somewhere inside the nest box, except one egg was laid on the bottom floor opposite their food & water area.

Most chickens don't really care if it's 4 separate smaller boxes or one big box (usually called a communal box). Either way is fine as long as they keep using it. If you have separate boxes it's normal that they'll prefer one or two boxes over the others.

Since they're new layers they won't always get it right in terms of where to lay an egg. Having just 1 egg so far in the wrong place means they do understand where to lay, so I wouldn't worry about the occasional outlier.

 

[nadiamaria3]

You’re about to become addicted. My toddler has a fresh egg every single day, I cleared it with the doctor but He has been having eggs for breakfast since 8 months old and has a whole one just about each day now.

If we go out of town or out to eat he will not eat the eggs... it’s pretty funny.

The issues come from dirty eggs. Make sure your nest boxes are small to discourage just hanging out in them and also prevent standing in them and most of the time they’ll stay clean. Just make sure you and your toddler wash your hands after handling eggs, and right away if they’re dirty.

I usually just separate my dirties and every few days give them back to the chickens scrambled and wash them all at once. I don’t wash and refrigerate the eggs that are not dirty. Even when I had just six chickens it was too many in the fridge anyway!

I’ve eaten multiple eggs right after being laid, but have never thought about it, imnsure because I don’t refrigerate them it never crossed my mind.

You’re about to become addicted. My toddler has a fresh egg every single day, I cleared it with the doctor but He has been having eggs for breakfast since 8 months old and has a whole one just about each day now.

If we go out of town or out to eat he will not eat the eggs... it’s pretty funny.

The issues come from dirty eggs. Make sure your nest boxes are small to discourage just hanging out in them and also prevent standing in them and most of the time they’ll stay clean. Just make sure you and your toddler wash your hands after handling eggs, and right away if they’re dirty.

I usually just separate my dirties and every few days give them back to the chickens scrambled and wash them all at once. I don’t wash and refrigerate the eggs that are not dirty. Even when I had just six chickens it was too many in the fridge anyway!

I’ve eaten multiple eggs right after being laid, but have never thought about it, imnsure because I don’t refrigerate them it never crossed my mind.

I had a separator in the nest box & all 4 chickens would hide/snuggle in 1 nest box, so I removed it to give them more room. Was that a bad move? All my eggs have been laid somewhere inside the nest box, except one egg was laid on the bottom floor opposite their food & water area.

 

[nadiamaria3]

Most chickens don't really care if it's 4 separate smaller boxes or one big box (usually called a communal box). Either way is fine as long as they keep using it. If you have separate boxes it's normal that they'll prefer one or two boxes over the others.

Since they're new layers they won't always get it right in terms of where to lay an egg. Having just 1 egg so far in the wrong place means they do understand where to lay, so I wouldn't worry about the occasional outlier.

Great, thank you for your help.