The best time to gather chicken eggs is when they are fresh. Collecting eggs when they are fresh has these purposes:• Minimize loss due to soiling or cracking.
• Maintain the best flavor and texture.
• Ensure safety for eating.
• Maximize storage life.
What time of day do chickens lay eggs?
A hen’s laying cycle is approximately 26 hours. So she won’t lay at exactly the same time every day. Further, not all hens in a flock lay at the same exact time.
Most hens lay eggs shortly after sunrise and before noon. So the best time to gather fresh chicken eggs is in mid morning, when most hens have finished laying for the day.
If you aren’t available to gather eggs in the morning, collect them at least once a day. Try to avoid leaving eggs in the nest overnight.
How do eggs get dirty?
The longer eggs remain in the nest, the greater the chance that they will get dirty. Hens may bring dirt into the nest on their feet. Some hens poop in the nest. And if nesting materials are not regularly cleaned out, poop and other debris will accumulate in the nests and stick to eggshells.
How do eggs crack?
A freshly laid egg is deposited in the nest with the strong rounded end facing downward, so the shell won’t crack when the egg lands. The egg then rolls onto its side, where the shell is weaker.
A shell may crack if a hen steps on it, or if the egg bumps against another egg in the nest. A hen may peck at a soiled spot on the egg, breaking through the shell. Any sort of crack in the shell allows bacteria to quickly enter the egg.
What happens to eggs in cold weather?
Chicken spend more time indoors during cold weather. Their increased indoor activity can result in egg breakage and also a greater accumulation of humidity and poop.
When the weather is cold enough, eggs may freeze. Freezing causes liquid inside the shell to expand until the shell cracks. A frozen egg that does not crack is still safe to eat, but the quality may be a bit off. During cold weather, you may want to gather chicken eggs more often to prevent freezing.
What happens to eggs in hot weather?
During warm weather bacteria proliferate. If the weather is hot enough, embryo development (incubation) can start. And high humidity during the summer can encourage mold growth on egg shells. As with cold weather, you may want to gather eggs more often during hot weather.
Do predators eat eggs?
Eggs that accumulate in the nest can attract snakes, rodents, and other egg predators. They can also encourage egg eating by the laying hens, especially when shells crack to expose the egg’s contents. For that reason, the best time to gather chicken eggs is as soon as possible after the hens lay them.
What happens if you don’t collect chicken eggs every day?
You don’t have to collect chicken eggs every day. But if you don’t collect then at least once a day, the shells can get dirty or cracked, or egg predators may eat them. You will likely therefore have egg losses, giving you fewer eggs that are safe for eating.
How long can chicken eggs stay outside after being laid?
Eggs that are left outside in the coop age faster than eggs that are collected and properly stored. The shell consists of tiny calcite crystals with spaces between them. The spaces form pores connecting the surfaces of the inner shell and outer shell so moisture and carbon dioxide can escape.
As an egg ages, moisture and carbon dioxide leak out. As a result, the white gets thinner and the yolk flattens. The egg will no longer taste fresh and its altered texture can affect recipes.
Further, harmful bacteria can seep through the shell and cause spoilage, rendering the egg unsafe to eat. Therefore, the best time to gather chicken eggs is shortly after the hens lay them.
What should you do with freshly laid eggs?
Collect freshly laid eggs in a basket in which they can’t roll around and bump together. From there, refrigerate them as soon as possible. Refrigeration both slows the aging process and inhibits harmful microbial growth.
Do you have to wash an egg after a chicken lays it?
You do not have to wash an egg after a chicken lays it. Eggs are clean when they land in the nest. If your nests are clean, the eggs should be clean when you collect them.
Washing removes the shell’s protective bloom. The bloom is a light coating that seals the shell’s pores to preserve the egg’s freshness by reducing evaporation and preventing bacteria from entering through the shell.
Brush off a slightly dirty egg. A really nasty egg — such as one from the floor or a dirty nest — harbors harmful bacteria and is not safe to eat. Discard it.
How long after gathering eggs can you eat them?
Assuming the eggs are clean and crack-free, you can eat them as soon as you gather them. Or you can store them in the refrigerator for later use.
How soon do you need to eat fresh eggs?
If you gather chicken eggs at the best time so they are fresh, how long they will last depends the storage temperature. At 30°F fresh eggs will keep for around 9 months. As the temperature goes up, the storage life goes down. Eggs stored on the kitchen counter, for instance, should be eaten within about 2 weeks.
Helpful Links
• How to Candle Eggs for Hatching or Eating
• The Safest Way to Store Eggs
• 17 Common Questions about Chickens and Eggs
And that’s today’s news from the Cackle Coop.
Gail Damerow has written numerous books about keeping poultry, many of them available from the Cackle Bookstore.
