Eggs in nest box for the weekend OK?

[viktoriacl]

OK great! Thanks everyone! I give a lot of eggs away and I'd hate to give someone bad eggs! My new pet sitter wants to work for free eggs so that works too! Thanks again!

 

[fifenashia]

Quote:
The float test! Better for determining age, than good or bad.

I use a plastic dishpan, filled with slightly warm water. Say, 100-105F. Put the eggs in- if it floats to the top, get rid of it. Too old. If it stands up on the bottom, big end up? Use it fast, baking is best, but it's okay. If it stays on its side on the bottom, it's still very fresh. The reason being that egg shells are porous- as time goes by, liquid evaporates and the air cell enlarges, making it float. I only test if I have a bunch of eggs that I forgot to mark the dates on.

Couple of notes-
Eggs are porous- if you use bleach or soap, it could be absorbed. I use lukewarm water and a soft nail brush to clean if I have to, right before use.
The USA is one of the few countries that refrigerates eggs. I keep mine in a basket on the counter unless they get to 2-3 weeks, in which case I refrigerate them. Used to be 1 week, but I tested a bunch and they are fine.
Washing removes the "bloom", a protective coating applied just as it is laid. Better than any protection we have.

And a final note: Everyone has their own way, find the one best for you.

Thanks! Very helpful

I don't mind a litle dirt on them but when I give them away, I would rather give clean looking eggs than ones with muck on them

 

[BoltonChicken]

Good info, people!

I figure my five will start laying early October.

 

[jomoncon]

I have 8 RIRs that have been consistently laying 7-8 eggs per day. I'm retired & can usually check for eggs several times per day. However, there are times when I am away from home & can't gather the eggs until late in the day. When this happens, I frequently have one egg that has a hole/crack in it. At first I thought it may have been from the eggs bumping into each other, but after looking closely at the hole, I think it may be from a hen pecking at the egg. This only happens when there are 3 or 4 eggs in the nest box at the same time.

I guess I'd be more concerned about hens pecking at the eggs rather than if they would still be good.