Egg questions

[DarkShadowSTX]

I got my first 3 eggs yesterday! This is my first time having chickens so I'm still new to everything and it has been an interesting experience so far. I have 11 hens that I got from TSC at the beginning of April. I was told that the earliest that people reported eggs was after 12 weeks and that 18 weeks was normal. Mine are 17.5 weeks so I've been waiting for eggs since week 12 and yesterday was like Christmas when I found them in the coop. What do I have to do to make sure the eggs are cleaned well enough before we can eat them so nobody can get sick from anything that may be on the shells? Also what is the shelf-life of the eggs before they are no longer fresh? Thanks.

 

[Ridgerunner]

As long as they are not washed to remove the bloom and they are stored on your kitchen counter and your home temperature is below the mid-70's, weeks if not months. If they are not washed, even longer in the refrigerator. If they are washed, weeks if not months in the refrigerator. When the egg is laid, the chicken puts a coating on it, called bloom, that helps stop bacteria from entering through the eggshell. If you wash or sandpaper that bloom off, it loses that extra protection.

If you wash an egg, you should use water at least 10 degrees warmer than the egg. The egg has an air sac in it. If you wash the egg in cold water, the air sac cools off and the air in it contracts. This creates a suction in the egg and wash water can be pulled into the egg. Since you are washing something off you don't want, this wash water can have bacteria in it.

Storing Eggs
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sust...ggs-a-Year-or-More-Without-Refrigeration.aspx

Good luck!

 

[booker81]

Quote:
Yeahthat, and also, you can always check if an egg is good by the float test - put it in a cup and fill with water. If the egg floats, it's bad, if it sinks it's good.

I just gently wipe off any shavings or poo from the eggs we get and store in the fridge for now.

 

[woodmort]

One thing I'll point out: If you're not use to fresh eggs, don't try to boil them as, unlike the store-bought ones, they will be impossible to peel. Rather wash them as above then store them for a week or so in the refrig to let them age before boiling. Trust me, with 8 hens in time you'll have plenty to eat fresh and also boil for egg salad and deviled eggs. We've gotten into the habit of dating eggs as we wash them so we know when they're ready--we store in egg cartons and stick a posted note on it with date.