Found the Hidden Eggs - Are They Still OK to Eat?

[BekkiH]

I figured out about a week ago or so that one of my RIR's was hiding eggs. Well, I guessed that she ands two others were because they had gone SEVERAL days without laying anything in the nesting boxes, and that just seemed strange.

I kept them all locked up for about 3 days, and sure enough, they started laying inside. I let them back out again, and I continued to get an appropriate number of eggs again... except it seemed like one of my RIRs wasn't really laying again.

I followed her this morning after letting her out, and found that she had made herself a little next in the woods. She was sitting on FIVE eggs!!! That silly girl!

So, it's pretty likely that these five eggs are from the last five days. But it's also possible that a couple of them are up to a couple weeks old.

They obviously haven't been washed or anything. Should they still be OK to eat?

 

[shmccarthy]

Has it been warm out? I know that eggs have to be kept around 40ish degrees for them to last, I probably wouldn't eat them if they have been there that long without being refrigerated or kept cool.

 

[Judy]

You can check them by putting each one in a glass of cool water. If they float, toss. If they sink, they should be OK. You won't eat a rotten egg by accident, seriously, unless you have no sense of smell....

 

[BekkiH]

Thanks!

It hasn't been very warm out. Got up to 80 one day, but all these eggs were laid in the woods, anyway.

I put them all in a pot of water, and they all sank to the bottom. So I'm guessing they're all good!