Out of town for a week, chickens laid many eggs while we were gone; are the eggs still good?

[sierradasilva]

Title says most of it. We were gone for a week, chickens laid 28 eggs. Outdoor temps ranged from the lower thirties to lower seventies, I think. Are all the eggs probably fine to eat, as long as there are no cracks or punctures? I am assuming so but wanted to double check. Thanks!

 

[sealer39]

They are fine to eat. Enjoy!

 

[aart]

Most likely they are fine...might want to candle for cracks.
and....
When in doubt....
Open eggs one at a time in a separate dish before adding to pan or recipe,
use your eyes, nose, and common sense to decide if egg is OK to eat.

 

[50-45-1]

as long as a hen was not sitting on them to brood, keeping them warm, they are likely ok.
open then singly into a small white dish to get a good look before adding them to whatever you are cooking is a good idea
nice looking eggs!

 

[Shepherdess]

Do the water test. Fill a measuring cup or other clear vessel 2/3 with water. Carefully place your egg in it. If the egg sits on the bottom, it is fresh. If it begins to float or actually floats do not use it. Eggs absorb air as they age. The more air in the egg, the less fresh they are and the more they will float. Dry eggs after testing and put the fresh ones in the refrigerator as the water will have washed off the protective coating.

 

[NatJ]

I don't think the water test will tell you anything useful, because it just measures how much air is in the egg. So it can help sort week-old from month-old eggs, but you already know yours are no more than a week old.

I agree with the people who say they're probably fine, and I also agree with the advice to crack each egg into a bowl and look/sniff before adding to whatever you're cooking. (Because checking doesn't hurt anything.)

Or, if you're not quite sure about trusting these eggs, you could cook them and feed them to your chickens.

 

[aart]

I don't think the water test will tell you anything useful, because it just measures how much air is in the egg.

Exactly!

Floating an egg will only tell you how old it might be.
They float due to evaporation when older.
It will not tell you if an egg is 'good' or 'bad'.
Plus then you've wetted the egg so it should be thoroughly washed and refrigerated.

 

[Shepherdess]

Eggs that float here get fed to the dogs. They are happy.

 

[IamRainey]

Sure! Nothing to worry about at that temperature range.

What a pretty collection of eggs to return to!

 

[Chirpchirp19]

Nothing to worry about I personally would float test also just be safe and candle for cracks. I also would crack into a separate bowl. Happy eating!