egg storage

[Rorie]

No doubt been asked 100 times, but i cnat find an answer.

1) Is it best to store eggs in or out of a fridge?
2) how long is an egg good for after hatching

 

[kellysmall87]

In fridge if just eating them, not hatching. If hatching, then store at room temp pointed side down until ready to incubate (no longer than 7-10 days after laid).

Not sure what is meant by the second question... if you mean when you are hatching and 21 days have arrived with still no sign of hatching, usually people wait until day 24 and candle to see movement.

 

[Rorie]

sorry, meant for eating in both cases!

Obviously fridges come with egg trays, but you can also buy egg baskets for storing outside of the fridge. hence i was wondering which is best?

 

[kellysmall87]

Well, i worked in a supermarket and noticed this years ago when eggs are stored on shelves and at ambient temp, yet when we take home we refrigerate them. I think it's a personal choice, but I have read recently that when the egg is refrigerated, the bacteria is killed off (which is better for home laid eggs as most chickens, if any, get vaccinated against bacteria and salmonella in the eggs etc. unlike factory layers.)

I keep mine in the fridge to kill bacteria and keep them fresher for longer.

 

[clucksbc]

It was on a prepper show...that she coated all her eggs in oil...and said they last 9 months that way...
I am not saying i have tryed it or recomend it...but sort of an additional bloom...can't be all bad...

 

[Tivona]

I have ducks and they always have messy eggs. As a result of this I have to wash all the eggs. After washing I wipe with vinegar to kill a few more germs and let dry and then give them a very light coat of oil. I then put the date on the shell with a pencil so I know when they were laid. I have them last over a month in the refrigerator with no real loss of quality. The eggs even after a month still hard boil like day old eggs which is why I switched to steaming them. They come out of the shell much better with steaming. Anyway I wouldn't trust them for 9 months but if desperate I would go a couple of months I suppose. Personally I always have new eggs coming so I feed any eggs back that I haven't cooked with when they hit a month but I can say the way I am washing, wiping with vinegar, allowing to dry then wiping with thin coat of oil works super well for me.

As far as in or out of the fridge in is best if you want them to last. Eggs age much faster on the counter but will be fine for awhile. Once refrigerated then they need to stay cool from all that I have read. I can't say on the how long an egg can be held for hatching but I have heard never to refrigerate the eggs you want to hatch.