We got our first eggs!!! Now what?

[cargilelove]

I would post pics of our first eggs but we have a girly laying in the box right now so I don't want to disturb her.

I have a few questions?

Our boxes are clean so I am not anticipating any dirty eggs..... what's the best way to store them? I'm thinking on the counter big side up, good for 2 weeks? I'm looking for the most natural way to care for the eggs! : )

Also, should I just remove them? Will they want to sit on them? (no roosters, hens only)

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks!!!

jamie

 

[Kelsie2290]

Congratulations on your first eggs! How you store eggs will depend on how fast you use them and what the temperature is. You can store clean unwashed eggs on the counter for a couple of weeks or a month or so and they should be fine. If you wash them (remove the bloom) they should be refrigerated. I personally like to refrigerate mine unwashed if the temperature is above 75 or so in the summer, but that is personal preference, refrigerated they will keep for months. In the winter I keep them in the garage where it is usually in the 40s. Somewhere on BYC there is a thread where somebody washed, oiled and refrigerated eggs, and they were still edible like a year later. Mother Earth News did a test years ago on storing eggs a bunch of different ways, it is interesting reading. http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-food/fresh-eggs.aspx
It is best to collect eggs every day, to keep them clean and from getting broken etc. Unless they are broody, the girls will not want to sit on them except when they have to lay another egg. Hens usually prefer boxes where there are eggs, so if you leave some in there they will usually keep using the same box ... Most people put fake eggs or golf balls etc in the nest boxes to fool the hens into thinking other hens thought that was a good place to lay.

 

[cargilelove]

I appreciate your response! We only have 3 boxes and that is where they laid the first eggs. Do you think there is any reason to keep the eggs in there? My hunch is that they will just keep laying there..... right?

: )

jc

 

[BellevueOmlet]

Nice looking eggs! I like the colors

 

[Kelsie2290]

Very pretty eggs, that blue/green one is bright and a nice contrast to the pinky one. You are going to have a nice colorful egg basket when the girls get together. I would take out the eggs, and put fake ones in there so they don't break the real eggs and don't start looking for hiding places. They may keep laying in there, but no reason to temp them to start bad habits. I'd also put more shavings in there, you want something of a cushion on the bottom so if they step on it or lay one standing and it drops it won't hit the wood and break, if they are kicking the shavings out, a higher lip on the box helps, I like about 4" for standard hens.

 

[cargilelove]

thanks kelsie!!!!

jc