Home Grown Eggs Taste Awful, Why?

[Godzilla1916]

Hello and thanks for reading,

I just started keeping chickens this spring with two, 2 year olds and two, 4 month olds.

The two 2 year olds are laying eggs almost daily, my problem is that I think the eggs taste awful, it tastes as if I'm eating the coop bedding. Now, I collect the eggs within hours of it being laid, and I wash them before refrigerating; however; as I cook and eat them the taste is awful.

The majority of their food is a commercial Hilay 16% protien crumble (that is always available to them), and I have been throwing in kitchen scraps (sometimes containing beef and fish).

What can I do to improve taste, I am anxious for the two young ones to lay so I can see if there is a difference in taste between the birds.

Has anyone else had this problem?

Thanks.

 

[EweSheep]

Well any strong odor or strong flavored products such as onions, garlic, broccoli, califlower, brussel sprouts and potent flavored would seep thru the eggs. Nothing you can do about it except for ride it out for the flavors to get out of their systems. sometimes strong flavored fish like tuna can put the taste on the eggs.

Sometimes the feed can make them taste off.

Offer them some fresh grass and veggies.

 

[#1California Chick]

You should NOT wash the eggs before you put them in the refrigerator. The "bloom" on the egg prevents bacteria from getting into the eggs. You also may be picking up "off flavors" from other things in your refrigerator.

And eggs don't actually have to be refrigerated. They will stay good for several weeks on your counter, unless it is REALLY hot.

Good Luck!

 

[silkiechicken]

You don't need to wash them, but if they are dirty, just wash before use to extend their storage time. If you must wash, was with water hotter than the eggs, as washing with water cooler than eggs can cause things to penetrate though the shell into the egg due to it's pours nature.

As for flavor, they will taste more "eggy" than store eggs, and not taste like the bland mushy fluff, but as EweSheep says, strong flavored foods can "taint" the egg flavor if they eat too much of it.

 

[vnploveschickens]

You should not be washing your eggs before putting them in the fridge. You are washing off the bloom which protects the inside of the egg from bacteria, etc. You could wash just before cooking and use water that is warmer than the egg.

What kind of feed do you use? Maybe you might consider another brand.

 

[Imp]

The first couple weeks I had eggs, I also thought they tasted well

. I kept gagging then down and got over it. I now go the other way and cannot taste a difference with store eggs, except that they are oranger, and less runny. Try adding lots of vegetables and cheese to omelettes etc. to mask the taste. Good luck.

Imp

 

[chickenbottom]

what kind of chickens do you have?

 

[underground chickenman]

It's probably the meat, especially the fish. You also might be absorbing odors from your refrigerator. Try keeping your nest boxes clean and you won't have to wash your eggs. Washing them removes the bloom that seals the pores of the shell, making it easier for odors and bacteria to penetrate the shell.

I keep my nest boxes filled with clean pine shavings. I also use the deep litter method for the floor, so the floor stays stirred up and friable (no wet clumps of poop). Additionally, the nest boxes are about three feet off the floor so the hens have to jump up on two roosts or perches or go up a ramp before entering, which knocks off anything that might be on their feet. Consequently, my eggs are as clean as those from a grocery store, and the store eggs are washed.

These are simple and cheap things you can do to keep your eggs clean and eliminate the need to wash them. Good luck and I hope the taste of your eggs improves.

UGCM

 

[Ah Lian]

I think it is the fish. Many years ago my mother told me about a friend who fed her chickens fish meal, thinking it would be a good high protein feed. The eggs tasted very fishy and bad afterwards. I'm not sure that beef is a good idea either -- perhaps try just veggies and bugs, and other mild tasting foods and see if it changes the taste of your eggs. Good luck!

 

[EweSheep]

you can feed meat products to your chickens but just dont go overboard with the total amount of in the container.