Winter Eggs = Cold, Counter Safe?

[SpicyDisaster]

First winter with chickens and it's got me to thinking. The general consensus I've heard is that if you refrigerate an egg it has to stay refrigerated, you won't want to put it back on the countertop. So how does this relate to the eggs when it's freezing cold outside? I usually grab eggs throughout the day but with it being biting cold I haven't. Sometimes we aren't grabbing them until we put the girls away for the night and the eggs are cold cold (20* outside). Thoughts on if they are still safe to be stored on the countertop? Thanks!

Bonus question: what happens if the eggs freeze??

 

[aart]

I don't worry about refrigeration, but I do gather frequently so they don't freeze.
The biggest 'danger' of cold eggs going warm is condensation,
my house is so dry in winter that condensation isn't an issue.

 

[Lexicon]

First winter with chickens and it's got me to thinking. The general consensus I've heard is that if you refrigerate an egg it has to stay refrigerated, you won't want to put it back on the countertop. So how does this relate to the eggs when it's freezing cold outside? I usually grab eggs throughout the day but with it being biting cold I haven't. Sometimes we aren't grabbing them until we put the girls away for the night and the eggs are cold cold (20* outside). Thoughts on if they are still safe to be stored on the countertop? Thanks!

Bonus question: what happens if the eggs freeze??

I found a frozen one yesterday. I hadn't been checking for eggs since no one was laying. I should have known because Louise had started squatting again. Her first egg since early October!
It was frozen solid and the shell had cracked. I will feed it back to the hens.

 

[SpicyDisaster]

I don't worry about refrigeration, but I do gather frequently so they don't freeze.
The biggest 'danger' of cold eggs going warm is condensation,
my house is so dry in winter that condensation isn't an issue.

Good to know, we are really dry inside especially right now. It's maybe 22% humidity even with a humidifier going so I don't think condensation would be a problem. Just the freezing.

I found a frozen one yesterday. I hadn't been checking for eggs since no one was laying. I should have known because Louise had started squatting again. Her first egg since early October!
It was frozen solid and the shell had cracked. I will feed it back to the hens.

What temperature are you? I'm curious what temp will freeze them. My brain says 32*F freezes but maybe it takes more since they aren't liquid as much as a gel.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree with Aart, condensation is the danger. As long as the bloom is intact the eggs can be stored on the countertop. This doesn't matter if the egg is coming from outside or the refrigerator. If the bloom were compromised before it went into the fridge it is still compromised. Condensation can compromise the bloom. It is not about whether it is refrigerated or not, it is about the bloom.

If an egg freezes bad enough to crack the shell the bloom is compromised. Bacteria can get inside the shell and in the egg. If the shell is not cracked and the bloom is not otherwise compromised than freezing doesn't affect the safety. It may affect the quality, the yolk may be weakened and easily cracked. You shouldn't incubate the egg, fertility can be compromised.

 

[Lexicon]

Good to know, we are really dry inside especially right now. It's maybe 22% humidity even with a humidifier going so I don't think condensation would be a problem. Just the freezing.


What temperature are you? I'm curious what temp will freeze them. My brain says 32*F freezes but maybe it takes more since they aren't liquid as much as a gel.

It was about 19F in my coop. I found another one yesterday (I think the first one was from the day before) and it was ice cold, but not frozen. I think it would depend on how long the egg is sitting there with no one covering it and it is warm when it is laid, so that helps too.
I fed them back the egg with the cracked shell today (cooked) and it was gone in a flash!

 

[SpicyDisaster]

I agree with Aart, condensation is the danger. As long as the bloom is intact the eggs can be stored on the countertop. This doesn't matter if the egg is coming from outside or the refrigerator. If the bloom were compromised before it went into the fridge it is still compromised. Condensation can compromise the bloom. It is not about whether it is refrigerated or not, it is about the bloom.

If an egg freezes bad enough to crack the shell the bloom is compromised. Bacteria can get inside the shell and in the egg. If the shell is not cracked and the bloom is not otherwise compromised than freezing doesn't affect the safety. It may affect the quality, the yolk may be weakened and easily cracked. You shouldn't incubate the egg, fertility can be compromised.

For some reason I thought it was the cold-warm-cold temperature changes that were the problem. It sounds like the impact of those temperature changes on bloom integrity is the actual problem. Egg-cellent!

It was about 19F in my coop. I found another one yesterday (I think the first one was from the day before) and it was ice cold, but not frozen. I think it would depend on how long the egg is sitting there with no one covering it and it is warm when it is laid, so that helps too.
I fed them back the egg with the cracked shell today (cooked) and it was gone in a flash!

Our girls haven't had eggs since they decided to molt and go from 14/day to 3/day. Freeloaders! XD Good use of a cracked egg though.

 

[Mrs. K]

I work outside the home, so frozen eggs are fact of life for me:

• If it is badly cracked and spread apart - I thaw and feed to the dog
• if there is a hairline crack, I use it up ASAP - baking with it
• If it is just fairly solid, like hard boiled feeling, then I just thaw in fridge and use ASAP

Mrs K