eggs 101

mickeymousears

Songster
8 Years
Apr 29, 2011
397
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141
SLO; CA
Can someone give me a lesson on eggs?

What do you do with them once they're laid? Refrigerator or not(I get told opposite info on this)? How long can they be out of the fridge before they go bad? How long do they last in general? Are they all edible - we just got our first eggs and they are little. And do duck eggs follow the same rule? (haven't seen any of those yet- just preparing)

And any other helpful info is welcomed!!!
 
as soon as they are layed you should get them and put them in the fridge if the eggs stay outside for 2 to 3 days or more they are not good anymore.when i have to many eggs
i boil the eggs and crush them up and feed it to the chickens and it will be recycled.
 
You will get a ton of different answers. Just do what you are comfortable with. If you search this site you could read for days and not read it all. But for what its worth, here is what I do (based on all the reading I did here)

I have eaten my eggs since the very first one...and it was cracked. I did not die so I would say eat away

If you are ever iffy on whether an egg is good, place it in a deep bowl or pan of water. If it sinks, its good. If it floats it may be bad. You can either toss it or crack it open in a seperate bowl and see if you think it is ok. I have eaten 1 egg that floated and did not die.

I do not wash or refridgerate my eggs (wash right before i use them). I keep them in a nice wire basket on my counter.

If you wash them you MUST put them in the fridge since you have washed off the natural protective coating (bloom) that is on the egg when layed.

I think they are good out on counter for about 1 month (not comfortable leaving them out longer)

I dont have ducks so I dont know about that one.
 
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hmmm, i respectfully disagree. Hens sit on clutches of eggs for days and they are still good. I would say unless your weather is super hot, they would be ok for at least 24 hours. In the fall and winter they would be fine for several days outside since they are ok at room temperature inside for several weeks.
 
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Sorry, but I totally disagree with the above. Eggs can set in the nest for a couple of days and still be good. Eggs can be left out on your counter (un-refrigerated) for 2-3 weeks, not that I suggest that. They will be good in your frig for 4-5 months. Don't wash your eggs, it will remove the "bloom" which is a coating on the eggs that helps to keep them fresh. Brush off any poo or debris, wash only if necessary. If you want to know if an egg is good, do a float test. Put the egg in water if it floats to the top it is not so fresh, but might still be ok to feed back to your chickens. Eggs that sink to and stay on the bottom are fresh. Any that float in between the bottom and top are, well, in between fresh and old. Remember you can always crack your eggs into a bolw first and check them out before eating them if there is any doubt.
 
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Congrats on the 1st egg! I've heard you can leave them out, but I put mine in the fridge by the end of the day. Once I've collected all of the eggs I think I'll get for the day, I carton them up, put the date on it and put it in the fridge. But I don't wash them, I really haven't needed to, but washing will take of the protective coating of the egg and make it easier for bacteria to get in.
Anyway, I eat my eggs, no matter how small, or big. Just gotta use more of the little ones to get a good size meal.
I'm pretty sure your fresh eggs will last just as long (or longer) as any store bought egg, and I think the store bought have sat around a couple months in cold storage before they even get to the store.
I would guess the duck eggs are the same, but I have no experience with them.
Hope some others with more know-how come along and chime in...I don't know if what I do is the right way, but it's my way.
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Congratulations on the eggs again!
 

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