Frozen duck eggs every morning. Will a nest box help? Are they OK to eat?

[AKCub]

My Rouens started laying a week or so ago. Of course, they picked the coldest part of the year, so far. Nighttime temps are in the area of 10-15 below F and just making it to 0 for a high. I have a infrared lamp in the coop (I wasn't going to give them supplemental heat but after a week of 15 below they were all shivering and looking pretty unhappy. Now they are back to creating duck mayhem.) But I think it only brings the temps in the coop up to 20 degrees or so.

I feed, water and check on them by 9 or 10 every morning and and all the eggs are frozen solid by then. If I put a nest box(s) in for them will it help keep them from freezing? If I put nest boxes in, should I put a couple eggs in each so that the girls know what to use them for? Do the nest boxes need lids? Right now they have dug nests 4-5" deep in the hay and sawdust.

Once I bring the eggs inside after they have been frozen should I do anything different with them before I eat them? All of the shells have cracked.

Thanks,

Scott

 

[ShuckyDuckyQuackQuack]

I would suggest nesting boxes with lids just in case... also do you plan on raising ducklings if so the eggs need to be brought inside into a brooder, but otherwise I think the eggs would be fine to eat ... but I would open one or two first just to be sure.

 

[PDurkin]

I would assume that a frozen egg is still an egg and that is should still be edible. I'd just thaw it out first before attempting to cook them up real good. I don't think nest boxes will make much of a difference. If your trying to incubate them to produce ducklings, a cracked egg will likely not develop.

 

[ShuckyDuckyQuackQuack]

I would assume that a frozen egg is still an egg and that is should still be edible. I'd just thaw it out first before attempting to cook them up real good. I don't think nest boxes will make much of a difference. If your trying to incubate them to produce ducklings, a cracked egg will likely not develop.

Oops I meant crack if you're going to eat to make sure the rest are fine...
P.S. Don't eat the cracked ones!!!

 

[AKCub]

I'm only interested in the eggs for eating. I wasn't sure if the cracked shells would be a bad deal for problem for letting dirt and such in.

Scott

 

[EmAbTo48]

Our eggs freeze all the time! Pain in the butt! If they our cracked of course you need to crack it open and use it right away but it yes its safe to eat. If not cracked but still frozen they are perfectly fine. We sell ours never had a complaint!

 

[Oregon Blues]

The eggs are fine to eat. If the shells are cracked, give them a good wash while they are still frozen, don't store them for too long, and cook them before you eat them.