First egg!!! Now what?

[karmlacres]

My hen just laid her first egg! We are so excited!!! Unfortunately, it is cracked

But that's ok, we at least know she "works".

This is our first experience with chickens (we have 1 hen, 1 rooster and 2 ducks). My questions now are about these eggs. If we are collecting the eggs for consumption, how soon do we need to get them out of the laying box? I saw plenty of info on collecting eggs for hatching, so I'm wanting to know about egg collection for breakfast. How long can they remain in the pen before collection and they still be good/safe to eat? How long will they keep in the fridge?

Is the cracked egg good for anything? Like if she just laid it today, is it safe to eat today? Tomorrow? Or should I give it to Templeton? Will it hatch if put in the incubator or left for the hen to hatch it?

 

[Mahonri]

If the membrane wasn't broken, it is safe to eat.

I usually gather eggs once and sometimes twice a day.

In the summer I gather twice as it gets real hot here.

If you are in a cold area, you sometimes need to gather more than once so that the eggs don't end up frozen.

 

[bigspringshatchery]

Congrats on the first egg and. As far as collecting the eggs I try to collect the same day as they are laid. The cracked egg isn't good for eating or hatching. You can scramble it and feed it back to her or feed it raw to a dog. My pit loves fresh eggs. She will suck it out of the shell. The eggs will be good in the fridge for weeks. I've read for 5. But not really sure.

 

[karmlacres]

Thanks for the quick answers! We just have the one hen right now and hope to add a few more to keep us in a steady supply of eggs