Rookie questions about egg handling

[Rustywreck]

I've learned much from reading this forum, but a few questions remain. My hens should start laying in the next 4-6 weeks.
Because of my job I may only be able to check for eggs once a day, and may have to miss a day once in a while. How long can the eggs stay in the nest before they go bad?
During the winter, if an egg is frozen or partially frozen is it then no good? Or, will the hen continue to sit on the egg and thereby prevent it from freezing?
Dang I know I had more questions, but as I ask I cannot think of them. Still, answers to these question will help greatly.
thanks in advance.

 

[Mrs MIA]

I don't think the eggs will go bad, per se, but I have heard that they can explode when they freeze. The hens will not sit on them unless they have gone broody, so I would not count on that. If they don't explode, I would think that they would be ok to eat. You may just have to resign yourself to the fact that you will lose some eggs unless you can keep your coop just above freezing.

 

[silkiechicken]

Once a day pick up is fine. Once every two days is fine too provided you don't have too many chickens that could result in broken eggs. Frozen eggs, provided the egg shell is not cracked, are fine to eat. If the egg really does freeze, whcih occurs below 32F and takes a good amout of time, it will most likly crack and you'll know it. So just cook those eggs up and give them back to your hens smashed.

They won't go bad in the nest per se. Just that if you have lots of hens, they could start to break them on accident, this could lead to egg eating and you having no eggs, and if the eggs are always in the nest, does risk preds finding and eating the eggs depending on the type of preds you have and the set up.