How often do you gather eggs in the coop?

[Amastacia]

i collect once or twice a day as my schedule permits, and i don't wash or refridgerate the eggs. mine stay on the counter and as long as the bloom is intact can stay that way for a good amount of time. i'm not sure how long, but i've never had one go bad, and they have been there for a few weeks at least.

 

[kada6305]

i collect once or twice a day as my schedule permits, and i don't wash or refridgerate the eggs. mine stay on the counter and as long as the bloom is intact can stay that way for a good amount of time. i'm not sure how long, but i've never had one go bad, and they have been there for a few weeks at least.

The bloom is intact? what does that mean?

 

[Amastacia]

the bloom is the protective coating on eggs that helps keep contamination out (bacteria and the like). it is damaged by water or abrasive scrubbing (even light abrasives can damage it). once it is damaged, the egg can become contaminated and is more likely to go bad.

when i have an egg that is dirty or damaged at all i will put it in the fridge after scrubbing it with a sanding block. i never get them wet (water and temp changes can increase the odds/rate of contamination). these eggs i admit i'm a little weird about. they only get used in things where they will get thoroughly cooked (usually baking or the like), after being cracked into a separate bowl to make sure they are ok (they also tend to sit around in the fridge for longer than they probably should). i won't sell/give away these eggs, don't want to risk anyone else dealing with less-than-good eggs.

 

[Boneheadeb]

I'm in the temperate Pacific NW, so snow or sub-freezing temps is not a particular factor. So far I have not had any predator problems, although winter will be a different story. I was thinking of an almost black tint to the plexiglass, just enough so I could make out a body shape. I do occasionally get very clever raccoons, but I think the design of the nest box is such that the coon would have a difficult time getting any sort of leverage to open the lid and be able to reach inside. I may be wrong (I have been before with those critters) and may have to install a locking device of some sort. We shall see. I'm in a rural area and my potential predators are coyote, coons, possums, eagles, and hawks. So far, I have been able to leave the coop door open when we are gone for weekends with no problems. I usually, but not always, close it at night when we are home. Kind of backward, but I'd rather not leave the chickens cooped up all day when we are gone.