how fast do eggs freeze - how long do i have to collect them in 20F

[SueT]

I go out every hour to check for eggs when temps are below 20F. If I knew a hen laid an egg already tho, I would go out asap. Right now, only 3 hens are laying and I don’t want to lose even one egg. These are bantam eggs and I would imagine they freeze quicker than big eggs.

 

[wrathsfarm]

I go out every hour to check for eggs when temps are below 20F. If I knew a hen laid an egg already tho, I would go out asap. Right now, only 3 hens are laying and I don’t want to lose even one egg. These are bantam eggs and I would imagine they freeze quicker than big eggs.

View attachment 3728305

Very pretty eggs and reasoning makes perfect sense.

 

[Fluffy_Moth_With_Silkies]

Has anyone used a heat source in the nests? Nothing that would get hot, just warm enough to not freeze the eggs?

I use a Producers Pride Coop heater. I haven't gotten a frozen egg yet and there is snow on top of the coop and all around it! It works really well to generally warm up the space.

 

[DobieLover]

Has anyone used a heat source in the nests? Nothing that would get hot, just warm enough to not freeze the eggs?

I use seedling heat mats under about an inch of straw. Yesterday the high was 20, I didn't get home until 6:30 after the temp had fallen to about 16 and there were two eggs in the nest boxes that were fine.

 

[K0k0shka]

I don't worry about eggs freezing unless they crack, and so far I've never had an egg crack from freezing. Our winters have been getting milder, but we still get the occasional cold snap where temperatures drop to the teens at night and only max out at the low 20s in the afternoon. I try to collect once a day every day, but sometimes I forget and skip a day. It's only the pullets who lay in the winter anyway, and this winter I only have 1 pullet that lays periodically, so sometimes I forget to check if she laid. I don't refrigerate the eggs and they've been fine.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

FOOhttps://ask.usda.gov/s/article/If-shell-eggs-freeze-accidentally-are-they-safe