Questions about home-grown eggs

[dalepres]

My father-in-law is raising chickens and we're the beneficiary since he won't eat their eggs. We only get by there every couple of weeks so the eggs are pretty fresh but I have some questions about them.

The chicks are whatever variety the local farm store was selling but they all lay brown eggs. He doesn't always clean them well so I wash them before using them. Even so, if I boil them, much of the brown comes off like a film and the water foams up with brown bits in the foam. What causes the foaming and is it safe?

He recently got a rooster. This week's eggs each had a tiny brown spot in them, attached to the yolk. Are they fertilized? Even if they are, should I care? If it is that pin-head sized dot, are they still OK to eat?

We'll be retiring soon and starting our own flock and I'm trying to not be squeamish. I ate the boiled eggs I did tonight, assuming that no matter what, if anything, might have been wrong with them would have been made safe by boiling.

I'd love to hear more about eating fresh eggs.

 

[eggbert420]

The eggs are safe to eat however, I don't know why the brown is coming off. Even store bought eggs when boild foams the water a bit.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Fertilized eggs are fine to eat, I've bought fertilized ones from the store and there's really no difference as long as the eggs are picked up regularly. If it bothers you that there's a dot of "something" there, you can pick it out before you cook them or cut it out after you boil them.

I don't think I've seen foam when I've boiled my own eggs or other "local farm" eggs, unless there's a noticeable crack (in that case it's egg white). Since you said you've been cleaning them before cooking I'd have to think they were safe, especially after being well boiled like that.

 

[bobbi-j]

My father-in-law is raising chickens and we're the beneficiary since he won't eat their eggs.  We only get by there every couple of weeks so the eggs are pretty fresh but I have some questions about them.

The chicks are whatever variety the local farm store was selling but they all lay brown eggs.  He doesn't always clean them well so I wash them before using them.  Even so, if I boil them, much of the brown comes off like a film and the water foams up with brown bits in the foam.  What causes the foaming and is it safe?

He recently got a rooster.  This week's eggs each had a tiny brown spot in them, attached to the yolk.  Are they fertilized?  Even if they are, should I care?  If it is that pin-head sized dot, are they still OK to eat?  

We'll be retiring soon and starting our own flock and I'm trying to not be squeamish.  I ate the boiled eggs I did tonight, assuming that no matter what, if anything, might have been wrong with them would have been made safe by boiling.

I'd love to hear more about eating fresh eggs.

I can't answer your question about the foam and "brown bits" when you boil the eggs, but I would be comfortable saying they're safe to eat.

The tiny brown spots in this week's eggs are likely "meat spots". Very normal, has nothing to do with fertilization. It can happen in eggs that are not fertilized, too. You just don't see them in your store-bought eggs because they're candled and those with imperfections are not sold in cartons.

Enjoy your fresh eggs!