This doesn't have anything to do with behavior but it does have to do with eggs so I hope I'm storing this is the right stop. I personally am Vegan, meaning I don't eat Eggs, meat or anything for any animals. But I am keeping chickens as pets, and garden helpers. I plan on giving any and all eggs to my family member so they will not have to buy eggs from horrible factory farms. But...I've never had eggs in my house before...ever. (Well ok I did when I was little but I've been vegan since I was 15 so I never bought of stored them my self) ANYWAYS.... How do you store eggs? In the frigde? Do they need to be in egg cartons...or just in a cool area? Also how long is it ok for the egg to stay in the coop? What temps will spoil the egg? What temps will freeze the eggs??? Thank you!
Out of the coop as soon as you can. Wash them, put them in an egg carton and put them in the fridge. Couldn't you become and eggy vegan? They really are delicious.
They don't have to be in a carton... I used to just keep them in the fridge in a bowl. I don't wash them, though. I wipe off any excess mud, poopies, etc, and don't wash them until I'm ready to use them. It keeps them from going bad faster. Our local feed store keeps extra cartons for people to use (recycled), or you could ask a neighbor to save some for you so you can store them in the fridge. Keep them about 40-45°F. I wouldn't freeze them, and I usually collect them 3 times a day, more if I can. I think it's great that you're supplying your family with fresh eggs...
You can store them in the fridge. If you dont wash them, they can sit in a bowl on the counter for up to 6 weeks. Why not eat the eggs? They come from your chickens, so you know they arent abused, or cramped in cages, and are healthy. ETA: Before I put my eggs in the carton, I was them with a sponge, and soap. LOL. I need to clean them. They come out of a butt! LOL.
wow 6 weeks really, that's alot longer then I thought they could last. To be honest I might eat some of the eggs from my own chickens since they are my own chickens and I know what they ate and how they were treated. But I never was a huge egg fan even before I was vegan...although I do miss angel food cake...and I haven't been able to master that one with out using eggs haha Maybe if I have extra eggs (I'm only planning on 3-4 hens...how many eggs do they normally lay, with out any artificial lighting? About 1 day, 1 every other day?? Also another question what do you guys use to clean the eggs? Just soap and water? I've seen "egg wash" for sale on some websites but I kind of feel like it's soapy water haha. Thanks for all your help!
My understanding is that you are not supposed to wash the eggs because it destroys a protective coating on the egg making it vulnerable to bacteria getting into it and causing it to spoil much faster. So if there is any tracked about mud, dirt or poo on the eggs, just wipe them off before storing and look into ways to reduce the amount of mud and poo that the chickens track up to the nest boxes. If you must wash them, do it right before using them or tell your family member to wash right before using. You could probably have that family member start saving their egg cartons now so that when you start to have eggs to give them, they will have a stack of cartons for you to use and re-use.
Quote:actually I have been telling them to save the cartons for a month now, along with other people I know, they have been giving them to me, which is nice. I don't even have the chickens yet but I have a stack of cartons hehe plus I had some cartons left over since people give them to me in the spring to start seedlings in. (it works great!) Thanks
If you do a search on here there are tons of threads about this. We also DON'T wash them (unless they are really filthy) because that washes off the natural coating and makes the eggshells porous and therefore they spoil much quicker. (I think I have that right) If ours are poopy, we try to clean off with a dry paper towel. If I really need to I will moisten it and carefully scrape off the poop. If I need to REALLY wash it, I make sure to use that egg within a day or two. Eggs that have never been refrigerated can last a very long time at room temp. Once they've been refrigerated, though, they need to be kept in the fridge. We keep ours in a basket on the counter. If you ever have any doubts about freshness, drop an egg in a glass of water. If it sinks, it's fresh, if it floats, it's spoiled. If it stands on end at the bottom, it's fine but older (i.e. supermarket eggs). I hope you'll give your own eggs a chance. Our backyard eggs are so amazingly delicious -rich and creamy- and we know exactly what's in them and how happy the hens who produced them are, so we enjoy them even more! PS I will take pics of the coop door this afternoon--- Stacey
Thanks Stacy! The idea of dropping the eggs in water to test them is a wonderful idea, I never knew you could do that. Thank you so much.
ah! another vegan chicken-keeper! howdy! like you, i was never really a fan of eggs before chickens. i'm thinking i might be able to fudge it a bit with my own happy, healthy chickens, but maybe just in baking. most everyone has said what i would recommend: unwashed in egg cartons in the fridge. you might want to have a small designated egg fridge, though, depending on the size of your flock and how often your friends and family will be taking eggs. otherwise your fridge could get kinda... egg-y smelling. edit: someone on another thread debunked the egg-in-water-to-determine-freshness test. i think their link came from the USDA website?