Graded eggs? I don't know, just eat it!

[firedancer57]

Our house chick "Z" has been laying for about 6+/- weeks now. Her eggs seem to be about the size of a medium store bought egg, OK so it's medium. But my neighbour asked me "What grade are your eggs?" Totally threw me. I know store bought eggs have grades, but what about home-grown? Oh she lays tannish eggs, there so cute.

 

[Tala]

When selling homegrown eggs in Arkansas, you must mark them as "ungraded"
basically it's a standardized system of egg judgment, and you have to be certified by the guberment to "grade" eggs....I can't remember everything they look at but it's size, shape, clenliness (staining), they candle for blood spots AND the size of the air sack, etc.

eh, most backyard chicken keepers aren't certified in such things so....just tell her they are "ungraded eggs."

 

[briteday]

skip down to page 27...

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3004502

 

[Lbrad7]

I would just go with your sentiment..."I dont know, just eat it!" The best you can do is grade them by weight and how clean they are. I personally don't sell any eggs that are stained due to the fact that it can turn some people off. I give my customers the cream of the crop and eat the stinkers myself.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

The link that was posted is good information on how eggs are graded.

For the most part, if the egg is not cracked, dirty, or stained, and you know that it has been freshly laid, then it's going to be Grade A or better. You can follow the guidelines and candle them, but you'd be hard pressed to find any that weren't Grade A due to internal conditions.

You don't have be government certified to grade eggs or to sell your graded eggs as such, but if you hold a state permit to process and sell eggs, a state or USDA inspector may want to check your work during inspections. The only marking that you would use would be "Grade A" as most small producers wouldn't try to separate out Grade AA eggs and in most states it is illegal to sell Grade B eggs as shell eggs to the consumer.

Only egg cartons that are stamped "USDA Grade AA" or " USDA Grade A" have been graded by a USDA inspector through an optional service that the USDA provides to processors who are willing to pay for it.

 

[firedancer57]

Thanks for the replies. I don't sell "Z's" eggs but next time the neighbour asks ; I'll smile and tell her their GRADE A.