So, my mallard has started laying, and I'd like to just start adding her eggs to the chickens' eggs in the fridge to eat, but her eggs are always so messy! Dirty, muddy - ick. Any thoughts on how to keep her eggs clean so they can go straight into the fridge? She lays during the middle of the night (ain't gonna happen - don't even suggest it - I need my sleep!). She has a nesting box with fresh hay, but doesn't seem to help. Other question, with this kind of dirty egg, this makes the chances of samonella greater. Water fowl are really filthy birds in general, compared to chickens. Has anyone had any problem with samonella and duck eggs? Or if you find a dirty one, do you toss it and wait for a cleaner one to collect? I would worry that too much time has passed since the egg was layed (and was dirty) and that the bad 'bugs' have had a chance to breach the shell and contaminate the egg by the time I get to it. Thoughts? and yes, we do eggs sunny side up from time to time. That's why cleanliness is a big deal.
Never had any problems with bad duck eggs. Every now and then people will get dirty duck eggs. Just wipe it off or wash it off (depending on how dirty or muddy) and put in the fridge. The shell on ducks eggs is so tough, I can't see anything getting in there. I collect all of my ducks eggs. I do not throw any dirty eggs away. I sell them to my backing customers and I eat some for breakfast. All are yummy. Are you getting any cracked eggs?
1.) Yes, duck eggs tend to be dirty. If they were not submerged in mud/slop, I bring them in and gently wash them in warm water, then put them in the fridge. They may dry out a bit and not last as long, but they are fine otherwise. If they show signs of sitting in really wet slop or water, then I crack them and toss them to the dogs. 2.) Ducks are not nearly as prone to getting salmonella as chickens. I really don't worry about it. I have raw egg eggnog, never had a problem. For all their filth, they seem very healthy. I would pick the cleanest eggs for sunny side up or raw egg stuff though.
No cracked eggs, just looks as if she walks on it with her muddy feet. You know how ducks spend hours and hours sifting through a muddy puddle and then walking around in it, this is how the eggs look. Kind of like teaching the kids to dye easter eggs for the first time, but using mud instead of dye. This morning I found an egg in the water bowl. You just never know what you are going to get!
Do you have a nest box with a training egg? I've found that helps mine use the nest boxes. I also don't feed/water in the coop (except for winter) and that seems to really help cut down on the mess. I don't wash my eggs unless they are really bad. I use a plastic cast iron scraper and scrape the chunks off the egg and mine seem to come out pretty clean.
Mine don't like to use a nest box, they never have. I just wash em' in the sink and plop em' in the fridge.
I have OCD on their house, clean bedding inside daily and I got rid of their mud pit of a run by adding 6 inches of pea gravel. The bonus? I haven't gotten not one dirty egg. They come out of the nest ready for the fridge. Nice to know my quirks pay off in little meaningless ways. No harm in giving them a rinse with warm water if it's exceptionally dirty.
Mine are not usually to bad.. i just wipe them off and toss 'em in the fridge.. i know where my ducks eggs came from.. well ok, sorta i never know which hen but i know them all personally anyways.. it's kinda cool whereas the chicken eggs at the store.. no clue who laid them, how old the egg itself is or the conditions the layer was kept in.. i know for sure all the answers to those questions with my duck eggs.
I sell mine "as-is" (meaning no cleaning) to friends of mine. They have NO problems with that. If you "clean" the eggs, they loose the "bloom" that protects the egg (from the mother). Eggs can be kept and be edible for WEEKS. Of course, refrigerate ASAP!
Mine are cleaner when laid in sand. All are perfect. I do use a green scrubby thing and hot water before they go into the fridge. I like a clean fridge! The eggs are SO pretty when washed!!!!!
