Selling eggs & candling?

[OHMYCHICKIES]

I was told by my neighbor, that used to have chickens and is on a waiting list to buy my chickens eggs, that I have to candle the eggs? That is to make sure no blood is in there when I sell it? Is that right? What else do I have to do before I sell the eggs?

Is it alot of work?

 

[Anne]

You need to make sure they are at the proper temperature (50-60 degrees fahrenheit) while you are storing them, and that you don't store them for too long. They must be stored big-end up and turned once a day while you are storing them.

You should also do fertility tests (you can do this by breaking open freshly laid eggs and looking for the blastodisc or blastoderm -- I know someone on here has pictures to illustrate the difference between a fertile and infertile egg) to make sure that most of the eggs you are selling are fertile.

And yes, you may want to candle to make sure there are no blood or meat spots in the egg, and to make sure the egg has a properly-situated air cell.

 

[Anne]

Oops, sorry, I thought you were talking about hatching eggs... did you mean hatching eggs or eating eggs?

 

[Chicabee19]

Do you have a rooster? Do you leave eggs in the nest for a long time?

If not, you probably don't need to candle. (I am a newbie, so my answer is practice... someone else might have one better)

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Quote:
Actually, the meat spots and blood spots don't have anything to do with fertility. I think that is why people candle eggs for eating before selling. A local guy here sells farm eggs and obviously doesn't. Not only are his eggs filthy on the outside they are full of meat spots and blood.

I'd rather starve, thank you!!!

 

[OHMYCHICKIES]

It's actually eating eggs that they want to buy. I do have 2 roosters and I do plan on pulling eggs at least once a day.

 

[speckledhen]

Well, if you are just selling them from home, no you do not need to candle the eggs. You'd have to have a very powerful candler to see small meat or blood spots, IMO. I never candle the eggs. I tell customers I think need to know it that these are real, farm eggs and may, on occasion have a blood spot or tiny meat spot, that I do not have candling equipment to see well enough like the pros do. Now, if you know a hen has a propensity to lay eggs with nasties in them, dont put her eggs in a carton, is all. JMHO.

 

[Chicabee19]

Actually, the meat spots and blood spots don't have anything to do with fertility. I think that is why people candle eggs for eating before selling. A local guy here sells farm eggs and obviously doesn't. Not only are his eggs filthy on the outside they are full of meat spots and blood. sickbyc I'd rather starve, thank you!!!

crud... wrong again. oh well, thanks for the straightening out!

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Quote:
crud... wrong again. oh well, thanks for the straightening out!

LOL...hey, you did fine.

We all have to learn somewhere.