How long are uncollected eggs good?

[zanre5]

My hen hid an egg about 4 days ago. I found it today thinking it was new. It was cold so I know it wasn't just laid. Therefor it must be the old one.

 

[chickenluver555]

Don't eat it, its not good. It is best to collect them within the same day. Put them in the refrigerator if you want them to stay good for a while.

 

[chfite]

You could try the float test to see if the egg is good.

Carefully lower your eggs into fresh cold water (do not use salted water) using a spoon:

If the egg stays at the bottom - it is fresh.
If the egg is at an angle on the bottom - it is still fresh and good to eat.
If the egg stands on its pointed end at the bottom - it is still safe to eat but best used for baking and making hard-cooked eggs.
If the egg float - they're stale and best discarded.​

The final test:
To make sure the egg is not spoiled, break it into a clean bowl and check to make sure it doesn't have a bad odor or appearance.

Chris

 

[MontanaDolphin]

I do not understand why people think and say eggs are bad after a few days. Eggs have a coating...the bloom ...on them...you don't have to refrigerate an egg if it hasn't been washed and still has the bloom. The only time I would question this is if the eggs were exposed to hot temps for a while. My grandma used to keep a bowl of eggs on the counter in her kitchen when I was growing up. Not in the refrigerator.

As long as the bloom is intact, eggs are shelf stable. For instance, you can mimic the bloom by coating store bought eggs in mineral oil. Put them back in the carton. Store them in a cool, dry place, out of sunlight. Flip the eggs once a month. Those eggs are good for up to 9 months. How do I know this? My friend Kellene has been doing it for years, which is how I learned. You can see an article she wrote about it here: http://www.preparednesspro.com/safely-preserving-eggs/

If you are in doubt about an egg, crack it open and SMELL it. Your nose will know. I'm sure that every once in a while you'll get a bad egg, one that maybe didn't get coated completely with the bloom. So trust your nose.