Poop AND broken-egg dirtied eggs - edible?

[All Ball]

Hi folks,

I've read the threads on poop-dirty eggs - many people find them edible with cleaning or cooking. What about eggs dirtied not only by poop, but by a broken egg in the nest? And up to 5 or so days old?

I was letting eggs build up in the nest to suss out any broodiness in my new layers - and just found a first, a broken egg in the nest, in a pile of 10 eggs. Hopefully from a weak-shelled egg and not egg-eating. I hate to discard these. Anyone know about bacteria dangers from not totally fresh dirtied eggs? How would you handle them - eat, cook and feed to chickens, or compost/trash?

Thanks for your thoughts on this!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I would either feed them to the chickens or discard them in the compost. It's not worth getting sick over them. Your cracked egg might of been from eggs being laid on top of other eggs.

 

[rebrascora]

I had a Blue Haze hen who always laid a thin shelled egg and if I didn't get it as soon as she laid it, which was a rarity, it would be broken and the other eggs caked in it. I give my soiled eggs a good scrub with anti bacterial washing up liquid and eat them myself and I make a point of hard boiling those ones. Often I don't have time to scrub them for several days but I've never been ill eating them.
If you are genuinely anxious about eating them yourself, then hard boil them still but feed them back to your chickens.

My view is that if a broody is really broody she will brood on anything and/or nothing. Leaving a nest of eggs for several days to tempt a hen into becoming broody is more likely to result in you getting a fickle or opportunist broody, that might get bored half way through. Personally, I'd rather have a genuine one that has got there in her own time and is ready to go the distance. Trying to rush nature is never a good idea. Be patient and it will happen when it is meant to be.

 

[All Ball]

Thanks you two! Much appreciate your advice and perspectives.FYI, I actually am not looking to hatch right now, was just looking to learn about my new girls, as their breed tends toward non-broodiness, with exceptions.