Fresh Eggs

[luvmyhens]

Hello Everyone,

My hens just started laying eggs, so tell me what i need to know.

Am i supposed to take it out of the box as soon as they lay or leave it in a while?
Am i supposed to wash it with dish soap?
Am i supposed to leave it out a while before refrigeration?
How soon can we eat them or boil them?

Why do all those eggs in the news have salmonilla ( probably spelled wrong) what was they cause and what do i need to do to protect my hens and eggs from that?

I appreciate all your information
Blessings on your day,
from the New chicken lady and loving it.

 

[AnnainMD]

Granted mine just started laying a couple of weeks ago but this is what I do so far based on everything I have read and learned:
I work FT so I check for eggs at the end of the day. If they are cool to the touch, I bring them in and refridgerate those immediately.
If they are WARM, I let it sit on the counter until it cools to the house temp and then I refridgerate. I DO NOT WASH. Hens deposit an invisible coating on the egg called "bloom". This protects the contents of the egg from any bacterial contamination (as shells are porous).
I have had one slightly dirty egg which I used a dry paper towel to wipe off as much as I can--THAT egg I would rinse right before using.

Do not leave the egg in the nest as this increases the chances that it will be broken by the next one getting ready to lay. Once it's broken, they'll eat it and then you've got egg-eaters and then a REAL problem. Remove the eggs as soon as they are laid.

 

[schoman]

Hi there-

I'm not an expert, but have been learning many of these things along the way with the help of this amazing forum. Here are some of the things I've learned from others:

Am i supposed to take it out of the box as soon as they lay or leave it in a while?
You can take the eggs out as soon as you like. It would probably be best to remove them sooner than later, but if you're gone for the day and the eggs are there for a few hours to a couple days, I don't think it will be a problem. They won't spoil right away if that is what you are concerned with.

Am i supposed to wash it with dish soap?
I would recommend not washing the eggs until the point of being used. They have a protective coating on them that will help preserve them. If you do wash them right away, you might want to put them in the fridge. I don't even think soap is necessary, just water and a little gentle scrubbing to remove anything left on the eggs.

Am i supposed to leave it out a while before refrigeration?
You don't have to leave them out, but they will be fine if you do for at least a few days. I just collect mine on the counter in a nice shady, cool spot. I heard once that a fresh egg at room temperature (that hasn't been washed) can keep in a cool dark spot for over a month. Not sure if that's true. If it makes you feel better, than put them in the fridge, but any egg that has gone bad should be fairly easy to smell. I also love my eggs at room temperature. Have you ever baked a cake or bread with fresh, room temp eggs? Wow!!

How soon can we eat them or boil them?
As soon as you want! (assuming your chickens are healthy and not on any kind of strange medication, etc).

Why do all those eggs in the news have salmonilla
Probably because the chickens that produce these eggs are kept in terrible conditions and confined to a very small amount of space. If you keep your chickens quarters clean and allow them fresh air and a good amount of space, I don't think you have anything to worry about. The salmonella problem is a product of the industrial food system.

On another note, the first eggs that your chickens lay will probably be small. That is normal and the eggs will get bigger over time, unless you have bantam types and the eggs are just plain smaller. The shells will also probably be pretty thick, but that's not a cause for concern. It just means they have a good amount of calcium for producing the shells! It's such a joy having happy chickens that produce wonderful eggs.