Eggs - post laying

[eggzettera]

Quote:
Exactly

 

[crooked stripe]

If you where keeping for hatching couldn't you keep for more than a week? I have never looked into it so I have no idea. I have read you have to keep hatching eggs cool but I don't remember the temp. John

 

[warren]

Eggs will last longer in the fridge, but if you boil them the shell will stick on so hard that you cannot get it off easily. I suggest you leave eggs for boiling out of the fridge.

 

[mooman]

Interesting. This question always comes up. Last time it did there were several people swearing that three weeks out of the fridge was no problem. This thread seems to be leaning more conservatively toward one week out of the fridge.

How long untill fertile eggs lose viability? I would say if it could still develop into a live chicken than it should be fine. I have stopped refrigerating my eggs, but none make it past one week. however I would not hesitate to eat one that had been out two weeks.

 

[Mrs. Foghorn Leghorn]

Quote:
Whoa...... I didn't make myself clear. These will be unfertile eggs for eating, not fertile eggs for hatching.

I'm keeping just 2 of hens of my 5 4H chicks for pets & eggs. Because of where I live, I have all sorts of restrictions.

 

[crooked stripe]

May be I should ask this question in a different manor. How long can you keep fertile eggs for hatching. (not refrigerated) John

 

[Mrs. Foghorn Leghorn]

Quote:
I was hoping an eggspert wouldl give you the answer, but since nobody has, I'll tell you what I heard.

In 4H, we get eggs from breeders to go into our embryology projects. They say a viable egg is good for 10 days. Now..... I've never actually taken the liberty of a full 10 days. However, in March, our last batch of eggs went through the mail system (think 3 days?) and then another 3-4 days waiting to get the incubator & stabilize temps. We definitely had 6 of a dozen with growing chicks in them. 3 quitters, 2 duds and 1 broken in shipping. So, I feel like 7 days is fine but each day, the viability goes down some.

 

[crooked stripe]

Mrs. Froghorn I do appreciate you filling me in on what you heard. I have had people wanting some eggs for hatching and ask me that question. I had no answer. I have 7 layers that have not started yet, 1 more month. I just just wanted eggs to eat and a few to give to our kids. Now I have enquiries. With having to wait so long for day olds from hatcheries I guess folks just want to get started before winter sets back in. John

 

[Davaroo]

Textbooks tell us that gestation begins to occur in a fertilized egg at 69 * F.
Thus the best temperature to hold them at if you want to arrest gestation is something just below that.

Below 50 degrees the fertilized egg begins to
seriously degrade in it's hatchability.

Below 40 it is almost nil in a very short time.

These discussions always bring out someone who tells about eggs they've had that hatch after weeks in the fridge. Well and good, although unsubstantiated. You gotta go with what you know, or has been proven in the main. Betting on exceptions is for the lottery.

So, the best temp for holding eggs which you want to hatch is given as 55-65*F. Even then, fresh is best and you don't want to hold them longer than 10 days. Even properly held eggs will begin to degrade quickly after that.

 

[Stella1964]

This thread has gone from eating eggs to hatching eggs...all very interesting!

I'd like to comment though on washing eggs to be eaten. All of my books say that you shouldn't wash eggs, but just wipe off dirt with a soft slightly damp cloth so as not to remove the bloom, or little of it. If you must wash eggs, do so in COLD water, not warm, and definitely not soapy water. Apparently, warm water expands the pores in the egg shell, allowing bacteria to enter the egg yolk/white. The bloom is naturally on a freshly laid egg to prevent absorbtion of exteria bacteria. When you refrigerate eggs, cold air will dehydrate the egg and dissolve the bloom, thereby once again allowing bacteria to enter the egg. So the recommendation is to keep freshly laid eggs at 50F, not colder, and they'll stay hydrated and won't form an air bubble inside (which is an indicator that the egg is losing its freshness).

My parents are from Germany and they tell me stories that groceries stores do not display their eggs in refrigerated sections...they are on the shelf with the apples and oranges.

Hmmm!

Having said all of that, I personally prefer to keep my eggs in my house fridge only because I do not have an extra fridge and I have to keep the rest of my food cold 35-40F...but my eggs never last long anyway. They always get consumed before a week has passed.

Good luck everyone!