Eggs Safety

[dhalle]

How long can an egg stay in a nesting box before it is unsafe to eat?

 

[my sunwolf]

Unsafe is relative... it is not unsafe to eat a partially formed baby chick, just unsavory. An egg begins to develop at 80˚F, so if it has sat in the nest box under a hen, I'd only give it a few days. If it has been in the box but has been kept under 80˚F, I would give it about a week. However, eating it after these dates may be perfectly fine, it's difficult to know for sure, and some people prefer to be more cautious than others.

You can always try the float test for oldness. Place your egg in a glass of water. If it sinks, it's very fresh. The further it stands up on one end, the older it is. If it lifts off the bottom of the glass, it is too old.