Hi All! I have a question for the group. We recently (about 1 month ago), had one of our hens attacked. We took her to the vet, got her antibiotics and have been nursing her back to health in our garage in an old do crate. Over the last week or so, she is doing much better and we've been putting her in our garden to get some daylight. We haven't brought her back to the run because she still has an exposed wound and the others were WAY to curious about it! Long story short, I found her behind one of my plants and she was in the middle of laying an egg. That said, when she got up, there were 5 eggs!! Provided she has laid one every day this week, my question is whether they are safe to eat. It's been fairly cool (50/60 degrees) and no signs of disturbance to the eggs. Its just with them being outside for almost a week, I'd rather play it safe but thought I'd ask. She has also been off of the antibiotics for about 2 weeks now and eating and drinking normally so I don't have too much issue with that but thought I'd ask anyways in case you guys know if I should be cautious with that too. She's also layed only 2 in the crate, one right after and one about a week ago. Thanks!
The fact that the eggs have lain outside for a few days or even a couple of weeks is immaterial. I found a nest with 47 eggs in it a couple of years ago that had been laid by 2 hens (my flock free range) and every single one was edible. You can test them by placing them in a jug of water. If they lie on the bottom they are fine, if they float they probably aren't. If you crack them open and they look and smell fine, then they are fine. That said, I would be a little more concerned about the antibiotic withdrawal period as antibiotic resistance does concern me. If you are confident that the eggs were laid after the withdrawal period, then go ahead and eat them.
I'd eat them. Mine are stored on the kitchen counter, about the same temp, and last weeks. If you're concerned, the float test can help. Sinkers are fresher. Floaters are not necessarily bad as in spoiled, they're just not as fresh and have larger air cells. I hard boil eggs that float all the time and we've not died. They actually peel easier than fresher eggs, in my experience. Anyway, crack them into a separate bowl first. Sight and sniff tests are always good. If it looks or smells icky, give it to the dog. If it looks and smells fine, enjoy!
