How long before the egg can't be eaten?

[Ethridgechixs]

I was wondering how long an egg can sit in a nesting box before it can no longer be eaten? Say you go out of town for the weekend and collect eggs before you leave Friday and don't come home till Sunday night will the eggs laid in that time still be good. Or say you miss an egg laid in the run and don't find it for a few days....will this egg still be good to eat or will it have gone bad or started the baby chick inside?
Thank you.

 

[shaza7]

I have no idea on that one. I imagine it would be quite a while going by the use by dates they stamp on supermarket eggs. You could always test them in water. I tend to only eat eggs that are taken out that day, any I find that may be longer than a day old I cook up and then mash up and put it in the chickens feed.
I also think the egg needs to be laid on and kept warm for the chick to start to develop. Im sure someone will be able to answer your questions, Im still pretty knew at keeping poultry

 

[Chic's Chickens]

The eggs that are at the store are generally at least 2 weeks old.... If they were unfertilized I'd say they were fine for 3-4 days before being refrigerated. Since you have a roo.... not sure about the baby chick thing.....

 

[Den in Penn]

Unless they were in extreme temperatures, over 100* or freezing /thawing, 48 or 72 hours means little to the shelf life of the egg. Many parts of the world they don't refrigerate their eggs and they are good for several weeks.

 

[HEChicken]

will it have ... started the baby chick inside?

No. Unless it has been incubated, a chick will not start to grow.

In answer to your other question about eating them, a lot depends on time of year. I've gone away for 5 days in the Spring, come home gathered eggs and eaten them all. On the other hand, if I were to go away in the middle of summer here, when temps are likely in the triple digits, I would be a bit more leery. Not to say I wouldn't - but I would be careful. I would take each egg and crack it by itself into a cup. An egg that is rotten in any way will be very easy to spot. As long as the egg looks and smells okay, then yes, I would eat it.

If I were the least bit unsure, I would put it on the dog's dinner that night, or feed it back to the chooks.

 

[donrae]

No. Unless it has been incubated, a chick will not start to grow.

In answer to your other question about eating them, a lot depends on time of year. I've gone away for 5 days in the Spring, come home gathered eggs and eaten them all. On the other hand, if I were to go away in the middle of summer here, when temps are likely in the triple digits, I would be a bit more leery. Not to say I wouldn't - but I would be careful. I would take each egg and crack it by itself into a cup. An egg that is rotten in any way will be very easy to spot. As long as the egg looks and smells okay, then yes, I would eat it.

If I were the least bit unsure, I would put it on the dog's dinner that night, or feed it back to the chooks.

That right there.
Fertile eggs won't develop unless incubated. I've found nests with over a dozen eggs. I just float test them and break them into their own cups, as mentioned.