eggs

[mysbev]

How long after a chicken lays an egg before it needs to be refrigerated? I work 12 hours shifts and it is sometimes 14 hours before I might find an egg! I am very new to this stuff and would appreciate any advice. Thanks, I love this website!!

 

[joedie]

My understanding is if you don't wash the bloom off they can be kept without refrigeration for at least a month. If whe bloom is washed off then it should be refrigerated. 14 hrs is not long. You should be fine.

 

[Ridgerunner]

First, welcome to the forum. You'll meet some nice people here.

I suggest this article on storing eggs. It is a bit of a long read but I think it is worth it.

Storing Eggs
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sust...ggs-a-Year-or-More-Without-Refrigeration.aspx

It would help knowing where you live to answer some questions. Might I suggest you modify your profile to show us your general location? You don't need to show any really personal information, but general area could help. If you play around with profile in the blue bar above, you can figure it out.

If you live where the egg could freeze before you get home, then you might have a problem. But it would have to be really cold for a long time for that to become a problem. With straw or wood shavings in the nest, the egg does not readily freeze since the bedding insulates it a lot. And really, really hot climates might pose a problem, but for almost all of us, gathering once a day works great.

 

[WitksChicks]

I just wipe them with a paper towel to get the wood shavings from the nest box off and either put in a basket on the counter or refrigerate. They don't go uneaten/unused before they would ever have a chance to spoil.