How long do eggs last?

[JillZaHulk]

Is there a chart or a reference of some sort that lists how long duck eggs last on the counter, in fridge, once washed, etc.? Also do they last different amounts of time if they're from different types of birds (chickens or ducks)?

 

[sylviethecochin]

I can tell you that duck eggs last a little longer than chicken eggs do for me.

I can't find a chart. I suspect this is because of the number of variables, and because the study would be just plan nasty (who wants five-hundred rotten eggs? Raise your hands, now, please.)

The variables I can think of:
Climate, (damp? dry? warm? cold?) of the house
Washed with soap? scrubbed with what?
How equipped is the mother hen for good eggs (some eggs are going to have more bacterial resistance than others are, due to layer of blume, thickness of shell, antimicrobial properties of the albumen...)
Temperature/sterility of the fridge?
Temperature/sterility of the coop/chicken barn?
Length of time in the coop/chicken barn?

 

[JillZaHulk]

I didn't take all that into account. The eggs we plan to eat we try to put straight in the fridge, otherwise into the incubator, if broken they get tossed. Is there an average lifespan for counter and fridge? We clean the coop and barn once a week, they've got extra straw for bedding (I top off the nest with a little more halfway thru the week), I make sure they're always dry out there and don't have muckiness everywhere, our house is set at 69-72 degrees at all times. Our hen is cooped with one Drake (both pekins) so most if not all eggs have been fertile. I try to collect eggs by 7am so within the first couple hours after being laid. Her eggs have somewhat hard shells but it's much harder to break thru the lining inside the shell. Today was the first that we've actually eaten any of her eggs because she just started laying a couple weeks ago and we've been incubating to hope to hatch more girls. Thank you for pointing out these factors and any advice you have to lengthen their freshness

 

[Ratchnick]

4 to 6 weeks your likeky still ok past that maybe even double under good conditions. If you wash you need to chill.

 

[Kat MacK]

Remember that commercial chicken eggs are washed and still typically are sold several weeks after they are laid, at least 3 weeks minimum. Unwashed eggs stored in the fridge have been reported to last safely past 2 and even 3 months. I swear by the float test for old eggs: put them (carefully) into a glass bowl at least 2 inches deeper than the eggs themselves. If they float off the bottom, they're bad. If they stand on end, they're iffy (use them immediately and cook them thoroughly). If they just lie on their sides, they are fine.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

If they float, I crack and smell them. If they smell fine I cook and eat. Float test is very conservative.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Is there an average lifespan for counter and fridge?

Sorry, I keep mine for an absolute max of four weeks. And that's if I accidentally lose a carton in the shuffle. The only thing that I can tell you is that my unwashed eggs are fine on the counter for four weeks.