Eggs what do you do if they are dirty and how dirty is acceptable? Maybe you could show me your eggs you collect?

[Jmcintosh23]

I sometimes get really dirty eggs and I just throw them in the compost and im continuously adding shavings and cleaning out their nesting boxes and it was really nice when we had a drought i mean I didn't like it for the garden but for the chickens and ducks it was really nice and now im stressed out bc I want to add horse bedding pellets, I have added hay, and grass and its gotten a crust layer on top of the dirt and it was mud for a while and squishy and I've added logs for them to be on and we've dug trenches for the w a tee but we have such flat land it doesn't really go anywhere. When it rains we get so much flooding like in pockets of the yard. I wanna add gravel and all sorts of stuff mulch and we'll I know that will help I just need more advice besides are these eggs okay if they are a little dirty to wash in with vinegar spray and wash cloth bc sometimes I cant get papertowels like I want.. these are the ones I was going to feed back to the chickens bc I cant stand the dirty ones anymore I used to see if I could save them and I just felt like I was spending so much time to clean them sonibquitndoing that and now they wait for me to throw them egg treats, like they know they have eggs in their nesting box when I go to collect eggs. I have ducks and one turkey. I cant some times collect duck eggs bc they look so dirty im just like I cant..

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

For my nesting boxes, I use shavings, though I've found that sawdust works the best. (Sawdust is harder to scratch out amongst the anxious layers, so it lasts longer.) Keeping both the boxes freshened and the coop cleaned helps a lot on keeping the eggs clean for me, even with my nesting box next to the chickens door.

As far as overall filth, or mud like it's been after this rain I've gotten, my eggs do occasionally get pretty dirty. I have a wire egg basket, so I leave them in it while I run water over them. If the dirt isn't caked on too hard, I can usually just wipe them clean, then on tougher jobs, I got a small scrubbing brush specifically for washing the eggs. I'm thinking of switching to a potato brush as I think one of those would be better and probably last longer. You could also get egg wipes (I use a wet paper towel) to wipe them down.

After my eggs are washed, as long there's no stains (for appearance reasons), I sell them. Then the stained ones I eat myself. As long as there's no cracks on the eggs, there's really nothing to worry about. Yes, over time the shell will absorb what's on the outside, but even then, I wouldn't be too worried. Plenty of people don't wash their eggs and eat them anyway, and I've seen eggs dirtier that those for sale on the side of the road. The biggest thing if you don't wash your eggs, you don't want the shells falling into your food for obvious reasons, lol.

 

[Jmcintosh23]

For my nesting boxes, I use shavings, though I've found that sawdust works the best. (Sawdust is harder to scratch out amongst the anxious layers, so it lasts longer.) Keeping both the boxes freshened and the coop cleaned helps a lot on keeping the eggs clean for me, even with my nesting box next to the chickens door.

As far as overall filth, or mud like it's been after this rain I've gotten, my eggs do occasionally get pretty dirty. I have a wire egg basket, so I leave them in it while I run water over them. If the dirt isn't caked on too hard, I can usually just wipe them clean, then on tougher jobs, I got a small scrubbing brush specifically for washing the eggs. I'm thinking of switching to a potato brush as I think one of those would be better and probably last longer. You could also get egg wipes (I use a wet paper towel) to wipe them down.

After my eggs are washed, as long there's no stains (for appearance reasons), I sell them. Then the stained ones I eat myself. As long as there's no cracks on the eggs, there's really nothing to worry about. Yes, over time the shell will absorb what's on the outside, but even then, I wouldn't be too worried. Plenty of people don't wash their eggs and eat them anyway, and I've seen eggs dirtier that those for sale on the side of the road. The biggest thing if you don't wash your eggs, you don't want the shells falling into your food for obvious reasons, lol.

Since you sell them do you ever just stop at others to see what theirs is like. I always thought about just stopping by to see what its like and just bc i stopped i would probably buy a doz. Just to be nice. I always wonder how many people stop by to buy them. My husband sells ours at his work but someday I'd like to have a stand for eggs and vegetables and such. How do you sell yours do you have a stand with a cooler? Do you keep ice in it?

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Our nest boxes have hemp bedding, so no dirty eggs.

We don’t wash them initially. We keep them in a bowl in the fridge until we need more eggs for cooking. Then we wash them with Manna Pro Egg Cleanser and put them into a much-used egg carton as the sign that they’re clean.

$14.99 at Teactor Supply; doubtless a better price elsewhere.

 

[rosemarythyme]

They really don't look that dirty to me. I'd just pop them in the fridge and wash only if needed once I'm ready to use them.

 

[Jmcintosh23]

For my nesting boxes, I use shavings, though I've found that sawdust works the best. (Sawdust is harder to scratch out amongst the anxious layers, so it lasts longer.) Keeping both the boxes freshened and the coop cleaned helps a lot on keeping the eggs clean for me, even with my nesting box next to the chickens door.

As far as overall filth, or mud like it's been after this rain I've gotten, my eggs do occasionally get pretty dirty. I have a wire egg basket, so I leave them in it while I run water over them. If the dirt isn't caked on too hard, I can usually just wipe them clean, then on tougher jobs, I got a small scrubbing brush specifically for washing the eggs. I'm thinking of switching to a potato brush as I think one of those would be better and probably last longer. You could also get egg wipes (I use a wet paper towel) to wipe them down.

After my eggs are washed, as long there's no stains (for appearance reasons), I sell them. Then the stained ones I eat myself. As long as there's no cracks on the eggs, there's really nothing to worry about. Yes, over time the shell will absorb what's on the outside, but even then, I wouldn't be too worried. Plenty of people don't wash their eggs and eat them anyway, and I've seen eggs dirtier that those for sale on the side of the road. The biggest thing if you don't wash your eggs, you don't want the shells falling into your food for obvious reasons, lol.

Anyhow those are good ideas recently started using old Easter baskets and I have two wire baskets I've wondered about a brush like that. Well I use warm water do you think that matters? I've watched my mom before she has a diluted vinegar spray bottle and wipes them clean with paper towels and let's them air dry. She won't keep any eggs that are dirty but also she has a better chicken coop build n than we do. Hers is all wood and ours is wood with tarp for a roof. Thank you

 

[Jmcintosh23]

Our nest boxes have hemp bedding, so no dirty eggs.

We don’t wash them initially. We keep them in a bowl in the fridge until we need more eggs for cooking. Then we wash them with Manna Pro Egg Cleanser and put them into a much-used egg carton as the sign that they’re clean.

$14.99 at Teactor Supply; doubtless a better price elsewhere.
View attachment 4223073

I've seen that, thought about it, where do you get hemp bedding is it close to 6 like pine shavings?

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I've seen that, thought about it, where do you get hemp bedding is it close to 6 like pine shavings?

https://eatonpetandpasture.com/prod...5niHHOtDnynghKlfgu7ELVbYxwE_wxdv4Xi-hKRpce20c

It’s definitely pricey! But it’s a much lighter weight than pine shavings, and I only use it in my two nest boxes.

I started using it in June, and the level has barely dropped. An 8-lb bag is HUGE. I change it once a month, and add the old hemp to the run litter. They never poop in it.

Chewy.com and Tractor Supply both carry it (others, I’m sure.)