the eggs from my chickens are rotting

[chickajuju]

every day some of my chicken eggs are rotting and going bad and so we can't use all the eggs that are in the cartons every day. I collect them every day but some still go bad. is it because I have a lot of broody chickens? please give me some info about how to get them to stop going bad!

 

[NatJ]

Are they rotten the day you collect them, or do they rot after you store them for some amount of time?

Do you store the eggs in the refrigerator, or do you store them somewhere warmer?

My own experience:
If I collect eggs at least once a day, and make sure I get every single egg each time, and store them in the refrigerator, and eat them within a month or two, I do not ever seem to have rotten eggs. That works even if I have broody hens, as long as I get every single egg at least once a day.

 

[chickajuju]

Are they rotten the day you collect them, or do they rot after you store them for some amount of time?

Do you store the eggs in the refrigerator, or do you store them somewhere warmer?

My own experience:
If I collect eggs at least once a day, and make sure I get every single egg each time, and store them in the refrigerator, and eat them within a month or two, I do not ever seem to have rotten eggs. That works even if I have broody hens, as long as I get every single egg at least once a day.

 

[chickajuju]

i wash the eggs, put them in cartons, and stick them in the fridge. we have a lot and put the freshest ones in the back so we use the oldest ones first. they are not super old, but maybe two/three months old.

 

[StinkyAcres]

I would recommend not washing them before storing them. If you get a very dirty egg you can wash it and eat it soon after. Washing can remove the protective bloom and let bacteria inside.

 

[DSJMHenDen]

You could try not washing them right away? We're still new to chickens, so I'm still working on a system that works for us, but I have been placing eggs in a carton in the fridge. I have "dirty" cartons, and one 18 count "clean" carton. Once my clean carton is getting low, I take out the oldest dozen of dirty eggs and wash them to be placed in the clean carton. If an egg is soiled, I usually wash/ scrape that one right away to go in the clean carton. This keeps me from having to wash an egg or 2 each time I want to use them, but allows some longevity for the rest by keeping the bloom in tact.

 

[Altairsky]

i wash the eggs

NEVER wash the eggs! Washing eggs is even prohibited in Europe.
Washed eggs will go bad because you are pushing the bacteria from outside the eggs, inside.

they are not super old, but maybe two/three months old.

2 months is pretty old. Eggs evolved to stay fresh and alive for roughly a month, which is the time that takes a hen to sit and then a chick to hatch. Over 1 month nutrients might start to degrade.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Also make sure the eggs are dry before placing them in the carton and make sure your fridge temp is low enough.

 

[thecatumbrella]

You could try not washing them right away? We're still new to chickens, so I'm still working on a system that works for us, but I have been placing eggs in a carton in the fridge. I have "dirty" cartons, and one 18 count "clean" carton. Once my clean carton is getting low, I take out the oldest dozen of dirty eggs and wash them to be placed in the clean carton. If an egg is soiled, I usually wash/ scrape that one right away to go in the clean carton. This keeps me from having to wash an egg or 2 each time I want to use them, but allows some longevity for the rest by keeping the bloom in tact.

I'm also new(ish) to chickens and this is EXACTLY what I do!

All eggs are refrigerated the day they're laid. "Dirty" cartons with unwashed eggs (though I'll gently brush them off with a paper towel, if needed), and a small carton of washed "clean" eggs for use in the next 5-7 days. I make sure they're bone dry before refrigerating. I even do the same thing with a soiled egg and bump it up to the clean carton for immediate use.

It's kind of a fussy system, but I'm a bit of a germaphobe and find it to be a nice compromise.

 

[Altairsky]

I don't get this egg washing obsession. Germs aren't going to die with water, and many also survive if it's water+disinfectant. I'm not germophobe, I ferment the most ugly things in the most ugly ways. I drink water from puddles. But I would NEVER eat a washed egg. That stuff can be NASTY. I'm highly concerned about eating a washed egg where it's almost sure some germs survived and most likely passed inside the egg.
I also want to mention that my eggs are almost never dirty... if you get dirty eggs maybe it means it's time to review the nest boxes or trim some fluff from the hens butt if poop gets stuck in there and smears the eggs.
I ate dirty eggs, raw. Never had an issue. I hatched dirty eggs. Same. I've never seen a rotten egg since I was a child from my grandparent's chickens, and never seen a rotten egg in 40 years. I don't even know how a rotten egg smell, I swear. Never washed any egg.