Found the missing eggs! Are they edible?

[LestersFlat]

For weeks we have been trying to figure out why our egg production has gone from about 8 a day, down to 3 or 4, from our hens. Just today I found the cache—37 eggs laid in the stack of hay bales where they made themselves a lovely new nest.

Considering I have no idea how long they have been there, and it is summer with temps mostly in the 80s daytime and 60s at night, what should I do with all of these eggs? I am guessing the oldest are about 2 to 3 weeks old, but the ones from the top are probably just from the past few days. Is there any way to tell if an egg is bad other than cracking the shell and smelling it? Or is it safer to just throw them all in the compost heap and call it a loss?

 

[Lots A Cluckin]

I have heard of some people going of vacation for 2-3 weeks leaving their collected eggs in a 5 gallon bucket in the garage on a shelf and boiled them when they got back...though I think they were going to give them back to there chickens to eat...when she put the first few in the water she realized they were fertile and about the hatch so she threw them in the bator and most hatched! ...but yes I would say you could eat them as long as they dont smell bad..or if you dont feel comfortable eating them you can still cook them and feed them back to you chickens...they LOVE boiled eggs!

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Simple "float test".


Use a flat bottomed bowl (We use a used margarine bowl). Fill it nearly full of luke-warm water. Gently place each egg in the bowl.

If the egg sinks and lays flat on the bottom horizontally, it is fresh. If it lays on the bottom, but one end stands up vertically it is getting older, but still ok to eat. If it floats in any way, fashion or form.... pitch it as it's old and just not worth the risk.

Hope that helps.

 

[LestersFlat]

Wow! That sounds like a great solution. I should have all 3 of those possible ages in the mix. I'll let you know how I make out.

After the float test: About half didn't float at all, and the rest only half-floated...one end up. I am going to hard-boil all the half-floaters, and make egg salad out of all of them if they smell OK after they are cooked. If not, I will just toss the smelly ones into the compost.

Do you think it's OK to sell the dozen that didn't float at all? Or should I not take that chance?

 

[Snooglerat]

I agree with the float test! It works!

 

[LestersFlat]

Well, I just ate some potato salad that had 3 of the half-floating eggs in it. If I am not dead by tomorrow, I'd say the float test works for sure.

BTW, here's a pic of all of my recovered eggs.

 

[Snooglerat]

Wow! That is a HAUL of hidden eggs you found! Sneaky chickens