Eggs

[Chickylady77]

Are there any precautions to take when collecting eggs to eat? I have heard that they last longer warm in room temp… but do they need to be washed? How long do they last?

-first time chicken lady

 

[LuciferRoo]

If the eggs are clean, do not wash them.
The bloom protects them.
If you do wash them, you have to put them in the refrigerator.
Even not washed, they will be good longer in the fridge.
Eggs can be good to eat for surprising amount of time. Over a month. They will however degrade with time.

 

[rosemarythyme]

They last longer refrigerated, not room temp. As noted above if you're going to leave them at room temperature then don't wash them and use them promptly. If you're going to refrigerate then it's up to you if you want to wash - I don't bother. If an egg is that dirty I'm going to use it right away to feed the dogs.

Many of us save up eggs for winter during late summer and fall, and if refrigerated they can last for months that way. A three or four-month-old egg won't look as perky sunny side up but it still eats fine.

 

[nuthatched]

Keep them in the fridge, in a carton or lidded egg holder. An egg ages more in one day on the counter than an egg does in a week in the fridge.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

We put ours straight in the fridge, unwashed. When we’re ready to load up an egg carton, whether for our use or to give away, we wash them.

 

[Chickylady77]

Thank you all! I also currently have a rooster. Do I need to worry about fertilized eggs/are they safe to eat?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thank you all! I also currently have a rooster. Do I need to worry about fertilized eggs/are they safe to eat?

Completely safe to eat as long as you remember to gather eggs regularly in hotter weather. Eggs won't start to develop unless a hen is sitting on them or storage temperatures are way too high. Eggs in a fridge or the counter of a house with A/C won't stay warm enough for that.

 

[Anon112]

Completely safe to eat as long as you remember to gather eggs regularly in hotter weather. Eggs won't start to develop unless a hen is sitting on them or storage temperatures are way too high. Eggs in a fridge or the counter of a house with A/C won't stay warm enough for that.

Just to add to this: collecting eggs daily also helps prevent hens from going broody. (I mean, some will go broody anyway, but I think regular egg collection helps).

I used to keep mine on the counter, but then was shown an article about how fast the quality declines when not refrigerated. As most others have said, I have "storage" cartons in my fridge. If I'm going to give some away, I give them a good wipe off with a damp rag, immediately dry them, and pop them in a clean carton.

Once refrigerated, though, they need to stay refrigerated, especially if you've washed them.