Frozen eggs

[pw30]

I have part polish chickens and they don't sit on their eggs. It's so cold right now that when I get the eggs some are actually partially froze. I assume I can't keep them for eating but hate to just throw them away. Any ideas on what I could use them for?

 

[Dar]

if the shells are intact you can use them if they are not then scramble them and give them back to the chickens

 

[shortstaque]

I've read that others let them thaw and use them as usual. They might not be the greatest for dishes that feature eggs, ie breakfast eggs, quiche, souffle' but they are fine for baking. Alternately if you are squeamish, you could feed them to the chickens or other pets, give them nice shiny coats. Keeping a good amount of bedding in the nestboxes and collecting more often may help alleviate the problem to begin with.

 

[Farmer Andy]

I give extra eggs or ones that have been hidden from me to my barn cats.

 

[Wisher1000]

How do you tell if an egg is frozen?

I have to assume that it is obvious and that none of mine have been or I would know the answer. I have gotten some that were VERY cold and made my hands cold in my pockets but have seen no frost or cracks to any. I put them in the fridge with the rest! I would probably give any that I knew to be frozen to my dogs (mixed in their food.) They wouldn't mind at all!

I have read that you can "pre-scramble" eggs and freeze them in ice trays to be used for baking (after freezing, pop out the cubes and put them in a zip-lock bag,) so I guess it won't hurt anything as long as the shell is not cracked....

 

[Denninmi]

Actually, frozen eggs aren't much different from non-frozen, the white is just a little more runny, similar to what happens to it after it sits a few weeks in the fridge (frankly, a fresh, frozen and then thawed free range egg probably STILL has a better quality white than a mass production egg from the grocery store).

I use them all the time when I get them in the winter. If they are cracked, I just rinse in hot water to clean, and shell them right into a bag or bowl. If I don't want them right away, I just pop into the freezer for later use.

 

[woodmort]

I was storing my eggs in a refrigerator in the unheated garage before it dawned on me that, with temperatures in the single digits, the inside of the refrigerator was going to go below freezing. When I finally move 16 doz eggs out the thermometer read 28 inside but the eggs, while really cold, don't appear frozen--they were all in styro cartons. Lucked out, if I'd come too a day or so later I'd probably have a lot of frozen eggs. Thus far the ones in the coop have been fine, I have enough birds that there is usually one on the nests until I collect them.

 

[pw30]

I only have 15 birds and they never sit on their eggs. I was told it's a Polish Chicken thing. The weather in Wiscsonsin has been so cold the last few days they are freezing pretty quickly. I work all day so I get them as soon as I get home.

I think the idea of cooking them up and feeding them back is a great idea. Gives them extra protein for the cold. Hopefully the weather will break soon.

Thanks! Everyone on this web site is alwasy very helpful. Makes a "newbie" to farming like me not afraid to post stupid questions.