What's your stance on storing eggs?

[PopVultureATX]

Hi-

My RIR laid her first eggs a couple of weeks ago, and they've been delicious— she's laid one pretty much every day, except for two days off, I think.

It's some people's opinion that you can just keep eggs in a container on the counter... that's what I've been doing. Someone once told me that if you wash the residue, or "bloom" off of the egg, it'll spoil faster. I also heard that the eggs you get at the grocery store might be six weeks old by the time you get them. Finally, I heard from one other person that eggs last for a very long time, and that they're totally fine unless you crack them and they smell bad... aka they're good until you know they're bad. Simple philosophy.

What do y'all do? Do you refrigerate your eggs? Leave them on the counter? How long?

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Those we eat - We leave on the counter in an egg carton, unwashed. If they have poop or mud on them, but get scrambled and fed back to the chickens or either to our dogs. We leave them up there for 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, they either get incubated or eaten by the dogs.

Those we hatch - We set in an egg turner at room temp until they are ready to put in the incubator.

 

[PopVultureATX]

That's funny— you feed some back to the chickens? A friend of mine growing up had a Cockatoo and she would make him omelettes. I always thought that was somehow ironic

That's a great tip. Thank you!

 

[Stacykins]

I've always been able to smell a bad egg before I crack it. They are definitely pungent, even if they are just starting to go bad. So when they're bad, you'll know their bad just by giving the egg a quick sniff.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Quote:
Yes, you can do that! Just make sure to cook them first. Giving them raw may result in egg eating behavior.

You can also feed them the shells. Put them on a cookie sheet in the oven for a few minutes, cool them, crush them, and ta-da! Instant calcium supplement.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Oh, another thing... if you are in doubt how old an egg is and don't know if it worthy of eating, try to float test.

Gently drop the egg into the bowl of water. If it:

- sinks to the bottom and stays there, it is about three to six days old.
- Sinks, but floats at an angle, it's more than a week old.
- Sinks, but then stands on end, it's about two weeks old.
- Floats, it's too old and should be discarded.

 

[kimntep]

Mine get a cool rinse if they have anything on them and go almost directly into the fridge. I've given away eggs that are 3 weeks or more old and have had only praise..no bad ones yet!

 

[33yardbirds]

Personel use eggs are in a baskett on the counter. Customer eggs are rarely more than a wk old and are kept at room temperature in an egg box. Dirty eggs get boiled and ground up for the chickens or broken over the dog's food. Good for their coat, so Grandmom used to say.

 

[Tala]

I bring them in, leave them in an egg carton on the table until I feel like washing eggs (every 4-5 days)Then I rinse them in lukewarm water and gently wipe when necessary, air dry them on a towel and put them in the fridge.
Unwashed eggs will keep at room temp fine.

 

[cmom]

My eggs from my breeding stock I put in the frige. The eggs from my non breeders I have left out. Mostly I sell my eggs. I have a cooler so I refrigerate my eggs.