Egg Safety

[survivorchick]

My two 10-month old Americaunas keep getting out by flying up on top of the laying boxes (outside the coop) and then jumping into the 5’ fence. We have tried clipping their wings but they still get out and since they can’t get back in, they find a hiding spot to lay their eggs. I thought they had backed off on their egg laying due to shorter days and dreary weather, but this doesn’t seem to be the case. I couldn’t find one of them yesterday and after hunting, I uncovered not one, but two hiding places. Over two dozen eggs and I’m not sure what to do with them. The highs have been in the 50-60’s and lows in the 30’s. Are the eggs safe to eat? We have a big run and I let them out in the yard once or twice a day, but what can I do to keep them from escaping?

 

[aart]

but what can I do to keep them from escaping?

Make the run more secure, higher fence or mesh roof.

Are the eggs safe to eat?

When in doubt....
Open eggs one at a time in a separate dish before adding to pan or recipe,
use your eyes, nose, and common sense to decide if egg is OK to eat.

 

[rosemarythyme]

One thing to try (possibly) is to try and attach some lightweight bird netting from the top of the coop roof or just below the roof line, and then hang it down and attach it to the nest box lid (which should still allow you to open it), to prevent them from getting on the boxes and just jumping out from there.

A better fix would be to slope the lid a lot more steeply, like 45-60 degrees, but that would require rebuilding the boxes.

And I personally would be a bit iffy on the eggs but if you are going to eat them, I'd do like aart suggested and examine each one before using. If in doubt, toss it.

 

[chickenenthusiasts5698]

I personally never chance them. You’ll likely get more tomorrow so why risk it? That’s just my opinion.

 

[Folly's place]

"When in doubt, throw it out"! Words to live by. What egg is worth food poisoning?
Netting or some roofing over your run, so everyone lays their eggs in the nest boxes. Lock them in for a week or so, and retrain them to the boxes. Meanwhile, add roofing, or at least netting.
Mary

 

[aart]

Another thought on hidden nests and eating the eggs found.....
.....if they've been rained on, throw 'em out.

 

[Erba]

If they float off the bottom of a glass of water they are bad. That is what I did when I found a rogue nest with 20 eggs in it. Though I was very impressed with their building skills.

 

[Folly's place]

You can read about the 'float test', but don't bet your health on it.
Mary

 

[aart]

If they float off the bottom of a glass of water they are bad. That is what I did when I found a rogue nest with 20 eggs in it. Though I was very impressed with their building skills.

Floating an egg will only tell you how old it might be.
They float due to evaporation when older.
It will not tell you if an egg is 'good' or 'bad'.

Plus, then you've wetted the egg so it should be thoroughly washed and refrigerated.