How to keep eggs from freezing in frigid temps?

[tweetzone86]

Hello all!

What are the best ways to keep eggs from freezing in the nest boxes if I'm not home for a while? They're inside the coop (rubbermaid totes about 2'x18"x15" in dimensions with lid on door cut out of short end and about 3" of chopped straw in there). The coop is the back half of a 10x20 shed and it's insulated (shed itself), but during the day the little 8" square chicken door is open as well as a 12"x14" window for ventilation.

I don't want to put a heat lamp out there for two reasons- a) I don't have power out there so til we rewire it (previous owners didn't know a dang thing about electricity. Long story short, power had to be cut to shed til we can do it right), I am running a 12 gauge heavy duty extension cord for the light (32 watt 4' LED shop light) and b) said extension cord only has one plug on it and I do NOT want to add a power strip to an extension cord that seems to be asking for an electrical fire. It's only a 20 amp outlet at the house.

I have appointments on Wed and Fri afternoons for physical therapy in preparation for surgery in November, so I am not home from about 1 to 5:30 on those days (or longer, if we eat supper at my inlaws- they watch the kids for my pt). Prob is, I get eggs from morning to early evening (though in a pinch I can swing by the house after PT and get eggs before going to inlaws).

What's the best way those in cold climates without heat in their coops use to keep eggs from freezing before they can be gathered? I don't mind thawing their water and such- I just don't want frozen eggs...

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Keep the nest box full of straw and/or shavings. Collect the eggs as many times as possible throughout the day.

 

[chickengeorgeII]

Collect you eggs several times per day or else heat the coop, pen, run, yard, hen house, or walk. All of these names are places that chickens are kept or housed.

An alternative solution is to move to Florida or the Rio Grand Valley. Hawaii will also work. Well most of it anyway.

 

[aart]

(though in a pinch I can swing by the house after PT and get eggs before going to inlaws)

That might be a good idea.
The birds will might keep them thawed while laying(usually around 10-3 here) but I still just gather frequently on the really cold days.

Collect you eggs several times per day or else heat the coop, pen, run, yard, hen house, or walk. All of these names are places that chickens are kept or housed.
An alternative solution is to move to Florida or the Rio Grand Valley. Hawaii will also work. Well most of it anyway.

@chickengeorgeII why the new account?

 

[chickengeorgeII]

I had to reload my operating system and could bot access my old account or 'member' my old pass word. And my old cell phone is somewhere in a recycling facility... in Taiwan.

 

[aart]

I had to reload my operating system and could bot access my old account or 'member' my old pass word. And my old cell phone is somewhere in a recycling facility... in Taiwan.

Staff could probably provide your old password @chickengeorgeII .

 

[Firefoot]

Is it a big deal if the eggs get a little frozen? We had a bad winter last year and I collected as often as possible but many times I brought in frozen eggs. Still are them all (after thawing). Was this bad?

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Is it a big deal if the eggs get a little frozen? We had a bad winter last year and I collected as often as possible but many times I brought in frozen eggs. Still are them all (after thawing). Was this bad?

No, not a big deal. The texture might be off if you want them sunny side up. Some people freeze excess eggs on purpose. The only problem with a frozen egg in the shell is that if it freezes too much, the liquid expands and breaks the shell.

 

[Firefoot]

No, not a big deal. The texture might be off if you want them sunny side up. Some people freeze excess eggs on purpose. The only problem with a frozen egg in the shell is that if it freezes too much, the liquid expands and breaks the shell.

Oh gotcha this makes sense. I did have one "explode" but for the most part, they were okay.