just wondering about cracked eggs...

[tansy]

hi! since my girls like to lay in bare nesting boxes, we have a few cracked eggs once in a while. how long are they safe for eating?

 

[jeslewmazer]

I'd say a few days up to week if refrigerated.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

Quote:
That's about right. We do the same. We try to use them ASAP.

 

[CamsCluckinChicks]

If the egg membrane isn't broke, I wouldn't worry about it as long as you use them within the 1st 2 weeks. I had a hen that took to pecking her egg...this is the same hen, Rhody, who hasn't laid an egg in about 3 weeks, but when she laid, they were HUGE. Anyway, because she rarely broke the membrane, I would take the pecked egg along with a few more & scramble up some eggs for the chickens. Not only did they love the scrambled eggs, the pecking of the eggs stopped! Yay!!

Also, you might want to look into nesting box liners...I know some of them are cushioned to prevent egg breaking. I would think you could use any type of rubber as long as it's nonporous and can be cleaned. The only other thing I can think to help would be to try changing the material you are using in the nest boxes. My layers prefer straw, but my 'exotic' coop seems to want pine chips.

They're like toddlers!!

 

[Chickn chick 46]

I don't get very many cracked eggs but when I do I boil them up and give them to the chickens

 

[sgtmom52]

The few cracked eggs I get fed to the dogs.

 

[pardenx3]

Quote:
Same here. My dogs get an egg in their food daily anyway, but cracked ones are put aside especialy for them.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I am finding that the pine shavings get scratched out of the boxes, as does the straw, but when I started putting in grassy hay, there aren't as many cracked eggs. For some reason they aren't scratching that out and are making nice little nests. Plus, I fluff up the hay when I collect so that if they want to do more scratching, they start fresh instead of creating a bare spot on the bottom in the middle where the eggs seem to "drop".
Good luck.

 

[pardenx3]

We have good luck using hay as well.