How do you keep roadside eggs 4-sale from freezing?

[chickenpiedpiper]

I have a small hut at the end of my driveway, and we put a small fridge in it for the summer to keeps eggs handy for our customers, and they dont have to come all the way up to the house. This works great in the summer.

However, come winter, when it gets cold, all the eggs freeze and crack inside the little fridge, it keeps things cold, but cant warm things up. Do I really have to put a heater in this little hut? It is a little too big for bulb to do much, with electricity costing what it does, that would eat up all our egg profits! I am pretty handy at building things, does any one have any plans or ideas?

How does everyone else keep thier eggs in road side situations from freezing during the winter?

Thanks!

 

[jobeibi]

Ok, now, I'm from Florida, so it's like you're speaking another language. (Ice? OUTSIDE?) If these ideas are ridiculously naive, please don't laugh too hard at me.

The fridge is well insulated. If you leave it turned off and closed, does the inside still get so cold that the eggs will freeze?

How many eggs are you stocking in your hut? Would a few large ice chests have room enough to hold the inventory? Sometimes, when I'm taking hot food out tailgating in the wintertime, I heat the inside of the cooler by pouring very hot water into it and letting it sit for a few minutes. Then dump out the water, towel dry quickly, and put in the food while it's still hot. The insulated cooler holds its temperature very well.

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

Well, I wondered about this, but if an insulated item like a refridgerator cant keep the cold out, how is a cooler going to do it, it might work for a few hours, but I would have to keep heating it every few hours....

I put out 5-8 dozen every couple days, and they are usually gone, but sometimes I have a carton or so left behind, when I bring out the next batch, so I just put it on the top of the pile, so it is the first taken. So I dont think a simple cooler would work, cause the fridge is insulated.

Thanks for the thought tho....

There has to be a solution, I was swimming in eggs last year, and hated having people come up to the house at all hours any day to get eggs, I couldnt run around naked or anything!!

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Run a dropcord in to the fridge an plug one of those thermocubes in to it then a bulb in to that.

 

[NHchicks]

I wonder if there is a solar-powered something or other that would keep them heated. Of course, that would only work when it was sunny out anyway.

Having to heat your eggs seems like it would cut into your profits.

The plus side if they do have to come to your house is you probably won't be running around naked as much in the winter anyway.

Another thought might be to keep the eggs somewhere attached to your house, but where they didn't have to knock on your door to get them.

Nothing stays unfrozen in NH in the winter.

 

[oberhaslikid]

I have to carry water to the chickens in the winter. We have coolers in the feed building with cat litter jugs full of hot water in them in the evening and they are ready to water in the morning its not cold but room temp by morning. Could you add like 2 liter bottles wrapped in a towel in the bottom of the fridge or cooler? Water hold heat the longest.

 

[Tdub4chiks]

How about a light fixture with a 40w bulb in a cinderblock, with a cooler sitting on top. Or even, the tin can water heater type deal they have discussed on this forum. I don't think xmas lights cost very much to run. Just my thoughts.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

As Rebel said, use a thermostat to run a light bulb in the fridge and keep it just above freezing. If you're really handy you could probably even use an existing bulb in the fridge.

 

[spish]

wrap the eggs in bubblewrap? i wrap my rabbits/cavies water bottles in bubblewrap during the winter to keep them from freezing...
or put a big fleece blanket around the fridge?
find a polystyrene transport box and put the eggs in that? should keep the 'freeze' out?

 

[I-Love-Pallets]

Well, I wondered about this, but if an insulated item like a refridgerator cant keep the cold out, how is a cooler going to do it, it might work for a few hours, but I would have to keep heating it every few hours....

I put out 5-8 dozen every couple days, and they are usually gone, but sometimes I have a carton or so left behind, when I bring out the next batch, so I just put it on the top of the pile, so it is the first taken. So I dont think a simple cooler would work, cause the fridge is insulated.

Thanks for the thought tho....

There has to be a solution, I was swimming in eggs last year, and hated having people come up to the house at all hours any day to get eggs, I couldnt run around naked or anything!!

Well, I wondered about this, but if an insulated item like a refridgerator cant keep the cold out, how is a cooler going to do it, it might work for a few hours, but I would have to keep heating it every few hours....

I put out 5-8 dozen every couple days, and they are usually gone, but sometimes I have a carton or so left behind, when I bring out the next batch, so I just put it on the top of the pile, so it is the first taken. So I dont think a simple cooler would work, cause the fridge is insulated.

Thanks for the thought tho....

There has to be a solution, I was swimming in eggs last year, and hated having people come up to the house at all hours any day to get eggs, I couldnt run around naked or anything!!

So, where exactly are you located?
Seriously, thank you for this thread. Our girls are starting to produce pretty well, and I’m trying to figure all this out right now also.