To wash or not to wash eggs?

[whittychick]

I have to admit I would be confused if my hubby and I hadn't done sooooo much research before starting our chicken co-op I DO NOT WASH MY EGGS! it removes the natural protective coating. I refrigerate IMMEDIATELY because I have customers that have never even seen a live chicken. I wipe off any goobers the day before or of delivery. Most of my customers buy 2-3 times a month. My nests are covered (poo protected) and lined with dried grass from mowing the pasture. (I am SERIOUSLY ALLERGIC to hay and they on the dried grass and it keeps insect reproduction WAY DOWN I add a little over 1/2 coffee can of DE to 40 lbs. of feed to keep insect and bacteria to a minimum in the girls feed and it keeps their systems clean as well. I have 8 hens, 1 rooster and 2 drakes that all eat and dwell in the same area and to be honest most of the dirt seems to end up on me. If you give your hen's a 'place of their own' they will use it and protect it the same way you would protect a bassinet ... I have to admit I probably spoil mine but I am very observant and conscientious of safety and cleanliness. Best of luck and ENJOY

You scoop the DE in the food? Never thought of that! Just usually sprinkle in coop!

 

[Annasg]

Thanks for the info. Needed this.
I have one hen that was laying on the floor. Just could not get her in the laying box. I was forced to remove her from the coop to a coop of her own for a while to heal from the rooster prodding. During that time, I built her a laying box of her own but still she laid on the ground. I put another hen in the coop with her and that hen showed her what that box was for. I removed the extra hen when I found the first egg that my wounded hen laid.. Since then she has healed up and I have put her back in with the rest of the flock. I also put her laying box into the hen house, set it up close to the floor and built her a ramp into it. When I put the box into the hen house, the rest of the flock were so interested in it. They each had to go inside and look around to check it out. That was when I noticed that she got her pecking order back and none of the rest of the hens use her box. Yes, they are protective of what they know to be theirs.

 

[beverly evans]

Hi! Don't know when this question about peeling the eggs went out. I tell anyone who gets my fresh eggs not to boil them for at least a week or they will have trouble peeling them. I don't know what the science is behind that but whatever it is, it takes a while for that stickiness between the shell and the protective membrane to relax. No special tricks seem to work, tho' the advice given is what I normally do when peeling eggs of appropriate age, (at least a week.) bev

 

[dadschicks]

So from what I understand here, I should not wash the eggs if they are a little dirty, but can wash them before using? When I give eggs to friends I don't want to give them dirty eggs, so I usually save the cleanest eggs to give away. Is sounds like it is still OK to wash if I am going to use them within a week? does that sound right?

 

[Avlana]

I don't wash the eggs. I think washing them would push dirt into the pores? If you had to wash them, do it right before eating them. I really keep after the nest boxes and I hardly get dirty eggs.

 

[Fred's Hens]

So from what I understand here, I should not wash the eggs if they are a little dirty, but can wash them before using? When I give eggs to friends I don't want to give them dirty eggs, so I usually save the cleanest eggs to give away. Is sounds like it is still OK to wash if I am going to use them within a week? does that sound right?

It's the age old debate, just look. Almost 200 responses on this old thread alone.

Look, eggs sold at markets, even organic eggs, MUST be washed. Strict egg handling guidelines are in place. When washing an egg, make sure the water temperature is 10-20 degrees warmer than the egg and bacteria will not be driven into the egg, indeed, the opposite occurs. Dirt is flushed off the egg.

Washing in colder water does drive dirt and bacteria into the egg. Any egg that is washed should be used immediately or refrigerated.

Google Safe Egg Handling and you'll see the protocols published.

Even if you choose not to wash eggs immediately, it is fine to wash it just before using.
We too give/sell eggs to people who would have a fit if they saw a speck of poop on their eggs. We wash them for such people. Not a problem.

 

[Happy Chooks]

While I'm here I want to ask a question. My cks. eat all the bits of corn from their fancy organic feed and leave all this powder stuff. The powder ends up being 3/4's of the feed!! What to do with it? It mostly ends up on the coop floor. I can't afford that kind of waste--not cost effective, what? So I make " "chicken pancakes". At first I just put 1 egg and some water aand fried up some. They weren't having any! They say chickens have no, or very little, sense of taste. Don't believe it. Next time I added milk instead of water, salt, baking powder, and enough flour to make them act and look like real pancakes. They gobble them up! Do I want to go to so much trouble every little while? No way, but what do other people do? Throw it away? Or are other people's chickens less picky than mine and eat all that powder? Feedback please.

I dump it on the ground in the run with any feed from the floor when I do a coop cleaning. They clean it up in about 10 minutes.

 

[russellfarm1]

You should wash your eggs to get bacteria off especially if you sell them!!!

 

[realsis]

I don't wash the egg until I use it. Washing removes the bloom. If it's poop I'll wipe it. All eggs go into the refrigerator. Hope this helps.

 

[cluckcluck3499]

You should wash your eggs to get bacteria off especially if you sell them!!!

We sell eggs without washing, you just have to tell the person that they are 'dirty'