Eggs freezing

[Prairiegrl]

hi, I am new here and this is my first winter with layers. I am in Canada and right now we are averaging -20 degrees Celsius at night and -14 during the day. Lots of snow but girls are cold hardy and don't mind - still free ranging most of the day. Nesting boxes are in coop and filled with deep shavings, no supplemental heat. How often should I be collecting eggs to avoid freezing and how can I tell if an egg is frozen/unsafe? Have been collecting every hour but sometimes I am not home that much. Read that tiny unseen cracks in frozen eggs makes them unsafe for people. Have cracked a few eggs that were really cold and I thought they were frozen but seemed fine when cracked??? Ugh, have little kids and want to ensure our eggs are safe for them. Any advice? Can't heat coop as we lose out power a lot during the winter (sometimes for a couple days) and don't want the girls to get dependant on the heat. (Do have heat lamps for use when we hit -40)

 

[lazy gardener]

How many birds do you have, and how many are laying? My recommendation: close off as many nest boxes as you practically can. Then, line the remaining box(es) with a deep layer of hay, which is a far better insulator. If your girls are all laying in the same 1 or 2 boxes, the eggs will be more protected b/c each bird will spend some time warming the eggs that were previously deposited. Is your nest box in the coop, or is a side car/outside access affair? I've found that eggs laid in the boxes within the coop are less likely to freeze. Finally, if possible, get out there and collect eggs several times/day.

Do you have your coop wired for electric? A grow mat under the hay would save all of your eggs from freezing.

As for frozen eggs: They will crack. Sometimes just a hairline crack. Often, the shell will crack, while the membrane underneath the shell remains intact. I have no issues using the latter in a recipe that completely cooks the egg, as long as the egg comes in from the nest box without skid marks. Any eggs that crack worse than that go back to the flock or to the dog.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

hi, I am new here and this is my first winter with layers. I am in Canada and right now we are averaging -20 degrees Celsius at night and -14 during the day. Lots of snow but girls are cold hardy and don't mind - still free ranging most of the day. Nesting boxes are in coop and filled with deep shavings, no supplemental heat. How often should I be collecting eggs to avoid freezing and how can I tell if an egg is frozen/unsafe? Have been collecting every hour but sometimes I am not home that much. Read that tiny unseen cracks in frozen eggs makes them unsafe for people. Have cracked a few eggs that were really cold and I thought they were frozen but seemed fine when cracked??? Ugh, have little kids and want to ensure our eggs are safe for them. Any advice? Can't heat coop as we lose out power a lot during the winter (sometimes for a couple days) and don't want the girls to get dependant on the heat. (Do have heat lamps for use when we hit -40)

Hi Prairiegrl! I'm from Manitoba. I wasn't quite ready for the cold quite yet...lol.

I've shut my birds in already. They didn't want to freerange when it was -5 so I'm assuming they won't want to at -15C...lol. That keeps my coop warmer, at least until it gets in the deep freeze. I check for eggs 3-4 times a day. Last year my girls laid from morning until about 3pm so them being on the eggs usually keeps eggs from freezing.
However when I'm away, the eggs will freeze. A frozen egg will usually always show a tiny crack where the egg shell split. The key to those is separating them as soon as you gather them. IF you bring a cracked egg into the house...the egg will heat up and you won't be able to see where the crack is. It's quite amazing! I think that's where the huge risk is.

I won't eat eggs with cracked shells and I won't sell eggs I suspect that have gotten close to freezing but haven't cracked the shell. The egg inside is usually more runny.

If in doubt I throw out to the pets or back to the hens. The cracked eggs don't get wasted. However my health and my customers health is more important that a few cracked eggs. Hens can step on those eggs and introduce bacteria to those cracks. I can't wash those.

 

[Prairiegrl]

How many birds do you have, and how many are laying? My recommendation: close off as many nest boxes as you practically can. Then, line the remaining box(es) with a deep layer of hay, which is a far better insulator. If your girls are all laying in the same 1 or 2 boxes, the eggs will be more protected b/c each bird will spend some time warming the eggs that were previously deposited. Is your nest box in the coop, or is a side car/outside access affair? I've found that eggs laid in the boxes within the coop are less likely to freeze. Finally, if possible, get out there and collect eggs several times/day.

Do you have your coop wired for electric? A grow mat under the hay would save all of your eggs from freezing.

As for frozen eggs: They will crack. Sometimes just a hairline crack. Often, the shell will crack, while the membrane underneath the shell remains intact. I have no issues using the latter in a recipe that completely cooks the egg, as long as the egg comes in from the nest box without skid marks. Any eggs that crack worse than that go back to the flock or to the dog.

I have 15 birds, average 10-12 eggs a day (most laid before noon.) they have 4 nesting boxes and use them all. Often 4 girls in all 4 boxes at a time. The boxes are inside the coop and have electricity but using it for thier water. I will look into the grow Matt idea - thanks!

 

[Prairiegrl]

Hi Prairiegrl! I'm from Manitoba. I wasn't quite ready for the cold quite yet...lol.

I've shut my birds in already. They didn't want to freerange when it was -5 so I'm assuming they won't want to at -15C...lol. That keeps my coop warmer, at least until it gets in the deep freeze. I check for eggs 3-4 times a day. Last year my girls laid from morning until about 3pm so them being on the eggs usually keeps eggs from freezing.
However when I'm away, the eggs will freeze. A frozen egg will usually always show a tiny crack where the egg shell split. The key to those is separating them as soon as you gather them. IF you bring a cracked egg into the house...the egg will heat up and you won't be able to see where the crack is. It's quite amazing! I think that's where the huge risk is.

I won't eat eggs with cracked shells and I won't sell eggs I suspect that have gotten close to freezing but haven't cracked the shell. The egg inside is usually more runny.

If in doubt I throw out to the pets or back to the hens. The cracked eggs don't get wasted. However my health and my customers health is more important that a few cracked eggs. Hens can step on those eggs and introduce bacteria to those cracks. I can't wash those.

Awesome! Thanks I am in Manitoba too!!! Gotta love this snow! Appreciate the advice on checking for cracks before bringing them in.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Awesome! Thanks I am in Manitoba too!!! Gotta love this snow! Appreciate the advice on checking for cracks before bringing them in.

We weren't done getting ready for winter...but I guess we're done now. I'm closer to the west side of MB.

The mat idea @lazy gardener suggested is a good idea. I have electricity in our coop and I've considered putting a heat tape under the nest boxes. Either that or I might be able to string it inside each nest box, but I'm not sure as mine are separate from each other.

I haven't gotten super serious thinking about the logistics yet. I suppose I should...lol. I'd love to hear if you try something and how it works out.

 

[RonP]

I will look into the grow Matt idea - thanks!

This may help.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/h...site&utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email

 

[Prairiegrl]

We weren't done getting ready for winter...but I guess we're done now. I'm closer to the west side of MB.

The mat idea @lazy gardener suggested is a good idea. I have electricity in our coop and I've considered putting a heat tape under the nest boxes. Either that or I might be able to string it inside each nest box, but I'm not sure as mine are separate from each other.

I haven't gotten super serious thinking about the logistics yet. I suppose I should...lol. I'd love to hear if you try something and how it works out.

My only worry is if the hensnotice it warmer in the boxes they might start sleeping in them

 

[Prairiegrl]

We weren't done getting ready for winter...but I guess we're done now. I'm closer to the west side of MB.

The mat idea @lazy gardener suggested is a good idea. I have electricity in our coop and I've considered putting a heat tape under the nest boxes. Either that or I might be able to string it inside each nest box, but I'm not sure as mine are separate from each other.

I haven't gotten super serious thinking about the logistics yet. I suppose I should...lol. I'd love to hear if you try something and how it works out.

My only worry is if the hensnotice it warmer in the boxes they might start sleeping in them

 

[Mrs. K]

I just cook mine if it is a small crack. I try and use it right away. Cooking would destroy any germs. Would not use them raw.