Proper way to clean eggs?

[UnttouchableRose]

I am slowly building a clientel for my free range eggs. I actually even got to where my demand is/was much larger than my income of eggs. So I ordered more chicks to have summer eggs and the was very fortunate to have a lady GIVE me 24 EE, Salmon Favorelle Crosses, and various other breed mixes along with some silkies. So I went from about 10-15 eggs a day to 40-60 eggs a day!

I don't now what I am going to do come summer when these others start laying! I guess I can sell more of my pullets and try to cover the losses I am having from my sick chicks.

So anyway, I have GOT to come up with a way to properly wash and store eggs. Can you please share your tips?!

Also I am looking at ordering egg cartons and would like some advice in that area too.


Thanks!

 

[CoyoteMagic]

I don't wash my eggs until they are going out the door. It takes the bloom of them and they go bad faster. The ones I use at home, half the times I don't even bother to wash

 

[ibpboo]

I just do a rinse with cold water. But i am not dealing with a bunch of eggs like you will be.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I don't wash my eggs either that I sell, they last way longer leaving the bloom covering on them......I keep my nest boxes clean and rarely have a dirty egg...

 

[UnttouchableRose]

I have read a variety of things on eggs and proper washing and I have tried all of them. They are just so time consuming. I thought about the bucket egg washer but I don't want to do that just yet.

I read a few articles on washing them with cold water and then coating them with mineral oil to keep the protective coating over them from being damaged or something similar to that. So currently that is what I am doing and they stay very nice with the oil and look like they were just laid.

I have trouble with a few hens getting the eggs messy from busting others by laying in the same nesting box. They have 15 to choose from in this one coop and they have to all lay in the same box! I just let them soak in cold water while I do the others, so far they are doing nicely.

Thanks for the input!

 

[DuckLady]

I wash mine in water warmer than the egg. It keeps the pores in the eggshell from drawing the dirt and whatever into the shell. I use a wire basket and spray the eggs with hot water, letting the water drain. I let them sit for a few minutes.
Then I dry with a clean towel and refrigerate promptly. It is really muddy around here and even with fresh clean straw in the nest area, the eggs are sometimes dirty. And duck eggs...well, the ducks can't seem to plop in the straw, always in the mud.

 

[UnttouchableRose]

Quote:
Yes my ducks always lay it in the worst place. I just gave up on getting them clean, clean I just get the ick off them and leave the stain.

I haven't found anyone that really wants my duck eggs though so I usually cook them for the dogs.

 

[chickenannie]

My dad grew up raising lots of chickens and selling eggs at market. They used to put them in a big wire basket, then lower them into the spring and swish them back and forth.

Also, my friends collect eggs in 2 baskets -- all the clean ones (75%) go into one basket. The dirty ones go in the other basket to be cleaned at the sink. They don't do anything to the clean egg basket-- not even dip it in water.

Also, I have a customer who started buying my eggs, because she was buying from a farmer who must have dipped in an egg-cleaning solution and she said the eggs also smelled like chemicals which she disliked.