Question about laid eggs

FincaLozano

In the Brooder
5 Years
Apr 21, 2014
19
1
24
Pasco County Florida
Just had a question how long of a period is it ok to leave eggs that have been laid in the nesting boxes. I am gone from home sometimes from 1 to two days and was just curious how safe it was?
 
I've heard that you can leave them out for three days to a week even.....though I've never done so myself but if I do leave them for more than two days I do the float test.....if the egg sinks it's good if the egg floats to the top it's a bad egg. I also learned a few days ago that alot of countries don't refrigerate their eggs at all.....not sure how they do it! Also if temps are below freezing the eggs could freeze so I usually always made sure to get them during winter but if I did leave them during that day I usually threw them out b/c I wasn't sure about the eggs freezing and thawing during the day being good eggs. Anyway I hope this info helps!
 
When I was accumulating eggs in anticpation of broody hens I'd let eggs sit in the nest box for 2-3 weeks during the summer. They were ok to eat, just that the yolks were a little runny.
2 or 3 days for you will not be a problem what so ever.
 
A few days is absolutely fine! We only really have to refrigerate store bought eggs because they wash the protective coating off of those. With the coating, the eggs your birds lay will stay good for weeks, even if they aren't refrigerated. If it is especially hot out, it might not be as long, but you can always do the float test to check before eating them if you are unsure.
 
Last summer when I was away so much, my eggs were only collected every 2-3 days. Temps here get in the one-teens, so pretty darn warm....plus in the coop to boot. The eggs got distributed and eaten by a variety of folks and no one ever had any issues.
 
Does anyone have a link to an "official" site (.edu or .org) that says how long it's safe for a fresh egg to sit out?
 
I spent a few minutes looking, but have not been able to find any. Most "official" sites that popped up in my search were US government or simply US ones giving information on the shelf life of store-bought eggs. There are plenty of "unofficial," but not necessarily less credible sites that give their findings. They vary, as is expected. There is no set do-not-use-after date for eggs. Just an advised one, as time increases the chances that the eggs will be exposed to things promoting bacterial growth (such as temperature fluctuations) and that bacterial growth will occur. In any case, the float test is a tried and true way to tell whether or not this has happened and if the egg is safe for human consumption.
 
The first link is from the FDA, talking about eggs that meet their regulations- have had the protective "bloom" washed off of them. That makes storing them at room temperature less advisable. Farm fresh eggs are a whole different story.
 
I could say the same for the second link. They also get their information from the FDA.
 

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