how do YOU clean your eggs

[tatertot]

I want to know...what method do you use to clean your eggs?
And what do you do if an egg does get poo on it?

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

I don't clean my eggs. They are laid with a "bloom" on them, that protects the contents inside. Now, once in a while, I will get a nasty egg. It was probably a floor egg, under the roost. I will bring it in and rinse it off, and use it immediately. Also, any eggs that are washed, need to be refridgerated. I keep mine on the countertop, until either...I get a broody hen, or get too many eggs. I also date the eggs when I bring them in, so I know which ones are the oldest.
Have had chickens 2.5 years now and have had no problems.

 

[4 the Birds]

+1

 

[tatertot]

Bloom? Please explain..this is my first flock and they just started laying last month...got 3 laying and more getting close
I had one lay on the ground.cooked it and fed itself back to them as a treat..I didn't know if it was safe to eat.
You mean eggs don't have to be refrigerated? Wow I didn't know that

 

[tatertot]

I don't have a roo...but I was wondering can you eat a fertilized egg?

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

Bloom-

http://www.suburbanchicken.org/eggs.htm

It is just generally accepted that eggs must be refridgerated at all times. Commercially produced eggs are laid under different circumstances. You don't know how long they have been since laid. They are washed and shipped. Therefore, it would be good to keep them refridgerated. Just a CYA rule of thumb, to protect those who buy and consume store eggs.


Fresh laid eggs - they are hopefully laid in a home "clean" environment. Just being exposed to your flock and your own environment. Depending on where your hens lay their eggs, they should be relatively fresh and clean. The hen applies a "bloom" as the last step in her egg laying process. A wild hen will be laying a clutch out in the wild, building it up to however many eggs she instinctively needs before she will go broody and sit.

Sometimes, a hen will lay an egg on the floor of the coop, or in the pen, or other places. It is still a fresh egg, and can be treated as such. If it has a cracked shell, the contents should be considered "contaminated"...and be fed back to the hens or other pets as a bonus protein. Cooking might be better, so as not to give the birds a preference to eat their own eggs. That will happen from time to time though.

Fertilized eggs are fine to eat. I treat all eggs as a healthy food source, and we consume them unless they are cracked. The only difference you'll see in a fertilized egg is a small white target shaped spot on the yolk. If you don't know what to look for, you wouldn't have any idea it is even fertile. The chick inside won't develop unless a hen sits on it for a certain amount of time. That is how she builds her clutch so they will all hatch with-in 3 days of each other.


Good flock management, fresh food and water, grass and sunshine, a safe place to roost at night...these will help you get towards a goal of healthy fresh laid eggs to eat and feed others.


It would be good to read up on flock bio-security also, as a home BYC keeper. I am new to all of this also, but one never learns everything there is to know. If something comes up with my flock, I will go online and research. Just keep asking questions!!! There is no such thing as a "stupid question"!!

 

[tatertot]

Thank you ...IV researched the biosecurity...cause I asked another member what that ment. IV really enjoyed reading the threads...IV learned much more than any book I could buy..and IV bought a dozen..LOL..thank you

 

[IttyBiddyRedHen]

I am learning new stuff daily! If I don't in BYC, my chickens will be sure to get my attention with something they come up with