Found 16 eggs in a hidden nest in the barn! Are eggs still good?

[kwale86]

Our RIR hen started laying about a month ago, laid 6 eggs then we thought she stopped. Our chickens free range during the day then we lock them up at night. We dont have a very good coop for them yet ( a 10x16 dog kennel covered with a tarp roof and plywood at 1 end) so it gets pretty drafty. But we live in TX so not too cold at night. Yesterday my daughter heard the hen making noise in our barn and we found her in a dark corner sitting on 16 eggs in a makeshift nest on the ground! The eggs were cool to the touch so I know she hasnt been brooding them and she comes into the "coop" every night to roost. Our temps have been in the 20's to 30's at night and up to 60 durign the day. We have a dirt floor in the barn and was in a shaded area so I doubt that the place her nest was ever got above 45 degrees. We immediately took them and put in the refrigerator. Our big question is should we keep the eggs or throw them away (or cook them for the chickens). We really want to eat them but are skeptical about them being ok to eat.

 

[dandelionheart]

Float test 'em! If they float they are good and if they sink throw them out...

 

[kwale86]

I just tested and they all sank... along with the one that was just laid and gathered this morning???? I'm confused about this test.

 

[donnavee]

I thought it was the other way - if they sink they are good and if they float they should be thrown out. All of my freshly laid eggs sink and lay flat on the bottom of the bowl of water.

 

[Chick CJ]

If they sink they are good!!! The older an egg gets the higher it will float!
If your eggs are not cracked they are probably fine at this point. It doesn't sound like they are more than a couple of weeks old.
In S Korea our eggs are never refrigerated. I think refrigeration keeps them fresh longer, but your eggs would have only even been in a carton for maybe a week at this point had they been laid at a factory.
CJ

 

[kwale86]

Thanks for the replies - Going to give them a try and will post some results.

 

[dandelionheart]

Dang-it I'm sorry, I remembered wrong. I apologize. I was trying to remember which way it was and remembered about the air bubble... and anyway, really screwed it up! Hope you didn't throw them out because of my blatant error!

I guess I shouldn't just left it at float test and let everyone else (that is more knowledgeable

) chime in and keep my mouth shut.

 

[al6517]

If you have 16 egg's given she laid 1 every day, that's only 16 day's. Any fresh egg from your own hen's will certainly be good and fresh, you can keep these egg's alot longer than townspeople think. It ain't the grocery store egg where they are already a month old before they even hit the shelf at Wally world. Plus how do you think they kept egg's back in the day before the pioneers had refridgeration.

AL

 

[greenriver]

Crack them into a small bowl to make sure but they will all be good!

 

[PepsNick]

kwale86, you have it backwards.

Sink sraight up= good and laid pretty soon ago
Sink to the side= still good but a little older, etc
float=