Lately we have not been getting many eggs from our 3 hens -- one was broody, one doesn't lay every day, and the other we knew had a hidden nest somewhere. Today we found the nest with 8 eggs in it between a fence and an outbuilding in a tiny space that we thought we had blocked off. So it's been in the 80's for quite a while here during the day (goes down to 50's-60's most nights). Would the eggs be any good? I assume that she has laid them in the past 10 -12 days as she is our best layer (when she isn't broody - LOL). We will try to get them out before we block that area with more wire, but they won't be easy to reach. Can you really depend on the water-float test??
I don't know about the water float test, although everything I've read about sounds plausable. But if you're certain the eggs have been stockpiled over the past 10-12 days, I would still eat them if you're going to use them soon. Many just leave them on the counter in the house until used, and I'm bad about letting them set in the nest for several days before ever bringing them in the house...JMO.
You might want to crack them into a bowl first to check for development in case she has been sitting.
Thanks, I checked and they all sink like a stone. I'm sure they are ok, but my DH says he won't eat them. So, I'll keep them separate and just cook them up for the girls this week. Just gave my poor little broody an ice bath to try to cool her off and start to break her, but she's now sitting in a wet stupor in the yard, going "what happened?? I was happily on my eggs and it was nice and dark and quiet. . . and then they take a rake and get me off . . . "
