Now that they are laying how do I eat the eggs?

[ErnieBerley]

IS it "bad" to wash the eggs?

 

[ValerieJ]

IS it "bad" to wash the eggs?

Not in my humble opinion. Just refrigerate them after you do.

 

[rosemarythyme]

IS it "bad" to wash the eggs?

Not "bad" but not necessary in most cases. If you are going to wash, it's recommended to use water a little warmer than the egg itself, and the egg must be refrigerated after that as it no longer has the natural barrier against bacteria.

 

[HAPPYCHICKENLADY17]

Yeah, had to have that wrapping paper when I saw it too

What a fun thread! Throwing in my hat...

I am only in my fourth year of chicken keeping and keep a small flock (10 right now) of hens. My birds are pets first with the benefit of eggs. I collect daily, put eggs in a bowl or basket, and eventually put them in cartons in the fridge. I do not wash eggs, but will wipe off any soiled ones if I am giving them away. I do date them with a pencil.

Edited to add (accidentally posted too soon): I also rinse shells and put them in a little countertop oven. Once the sheet is full, I bake for about 12 minutes at 200° before feeding them back to the flock. Not necessary, but I want to be sure nothing’s growing on them. I also put pointy side down.

View attachment 1994795

As a side note... someone mentioned exposing your kids to wholesomeness or something like that. I totally agree. I also do the same for my flock. I used to keep a super clean run. One year I tried sand, but it got too mucky. It has taken me awhile to build it up so it is “living.” I’ve got a way to go, but now I see the girls having a good time digging and looking for bugs, etc. My hope is it provides entertainment and exercise. It seems to be working, but they do still hunker down a bit when it rains.

THE microwave does a good job with the eggshells, i do 1 min to 1 min 30sec depending on how many empty eggshells i have.......i sell my eggs as fast as i can collect them....i have 5 steady customers

 

[BigBlueHen53]

i love my eggs.....View attachment 1994437i rarely have to do anything to my eggs..

Your eggs look so pretty in that Christmas dish!

 

[HAPPYCHICKENLADY17]

IS it "bad" to wash the eggs?

its not bad, and they do last longer in the fridge, but some say the taste is better left on the counter.....

 

[HAPPYCHICKENLADY17]

Your eggs look so pretty in that Christmas dish!

ah thank you...i thought it looked fun to do!

 

[BDutch]

Another way of doing the egg thing?:

I never wash the clean eggs after collecting.

The dirty ones are wiped (mud) and washed (poo) and eaten as s.a.p. They are in a bowl on the kitchen counter saying ” Don’t forget to eat me first”.

The clean ones go in marked egg cartons (originally used for 6 store eggs). My 8 bantams give me more then we can eat in spring/summer. In winter we buy some eggs.

I use a rotating system to keep track: A1 - A2 - A3 -B1- B2 -B3- C1- C2-C3 -A1 etc. Empty egg cartons go in the laundry /store room. I keep the fresh eggs in a cupboard. When I have too much in spring and summer I keep some in the fridge too. But also give them to family, and neighbors who babysit my chickens on holidays.
When my girls lay little like now, I buy new egg cartons.

My dear husband, who is a chef in the kitchen too, seems to understand the rotating system after using this for 3 years now. But still gets confused sometimes with eggs on the kitchen counter and eggs in the fridge.

 

[woodmort]

IS it "bad" to wash the eggs?

My wife says"I do not want chicken s--t in my refrigerator!!!" so, yes, I dutifully wash everything that shows any sign of dirt. I keep a soft brush and give them a quick rinse and brush before setting them to dry.

 

[IamRainey]

"I do not want chicken s--t in my refrigerator!!!"

Now there is a clear and unambiguous declaration! And who's about to argue with her?