Egg Safety - Lay time vs refrig. time

[dusky233]

Normally collect eggs daily, but now that summer is upon us we will be taking weekend fishing trips frequently. Question, what is a safe time for eggs to go uncollected before being refrigerated? For example, we left Saturday morning at 2am (of course no eggs at this time) and returned Sunday night at 9 pm and collected 16 eggs (2 per hen) which promptly went into the fridge. Coop and laying boxes are completely shaded and daytime air temps would have been around 90 degrees.

Thanks in advance, dusky233

 

[CalebtheChicken]

In my experience, eggs are good for about 3 weeks outside of the fridge.

 

[Imp]

I don't know for sure, but check out these pics of egg development: Doesn't look like much is going on for the first couple days.

http://poultryworld.tripod.com/embryo.htm

Imp- I'd still refrigerate, and feel sqeamish.

Can you get a neighbor to pick up Saturday?

 

[TipsyDog]

I've left eggs that long in the boxes also. It's not a problem, your eggs will be fine.

 

[rhaj]

What if they are left from Fri AM to Monday afternoon? Would they all have to be thrown away then?

 

[Imp]

Quote:
No you would not need to throw away. At 4 days veining is just started. Depending on your stomach you could still eat or feed back to your animals or incubate/hatch.

I think I'd go back to store eggs though.

Imp- Say: Rare Balut

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

If there is any doubt, just do the float test.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Quote:
You'll have lost a little quality, but the eggs should still be perfectly safe to eat.
Quote:
I would not throw them away myself, but would rather keep them for the famiy to eat or use them in making the dog's food. There will be some quality loss, but they should still be safe to eat. I personally won't sell or give away an egg that has lain in the nest box for three days, but if they were not cracked, left in the sun, or heavily soiled would not be adverse to eating them myself.

 

[crysmom]

i would eat them

sometimes when my birds have been out free ranging for a few days i'll notice a drop in eggs but sure enough a day or two later i'll come across a nest full of eggs (2 or 3 ) hiding under a bush I just pull the eggs out and float them in water if they lie on the bottom they are fresh if they stand up on end not nearly as fresh and if they are buoyant in the compost they go. These are eggs for me and my family I don't sell eggs at all i'm comfortable consuming them