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Barnyard Buddies:  cleaning chicken eggs  |
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eskimobirdlady
True Blue Farmgirl
700 Posts
connie
fairbanks
ak
USA
700 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 20 2009 : 09:01:34 AM
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its been a long time since i posted because we had to go to houston tx for hubby to have major surgery. he is doing really good! hopefully i will be able to begin reading and possting regularly as thing settle down.
while we were gone the kid who was to take care of the chckens didnt do his job right, the result was that we lost about 3 of them *sob* the 15 that are left are keeping us in eggs big time! we are getting 7-12 egs per day! they arent using a nest box so the eggs are all over the floor. they tend to get pretty nasty. when they get poop on them its is impossible to just wipe them off with a wet wrag. can i soak them in cool water? should i add something like a few drops of dish soap or vinager in the water? peace connie in alaska |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2009 : 10:47:52 AM
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My PERSONAL opinion is no. I don't EVER clean my eggs off unless it just brushes right off. The outside of the eggs has a proective coating on it that will keep bacteria and other yuckies from getting to the eggs. Washing the eggs removes this protective coating making the eggs more susceptible to bad stuff. I store my eggs like they are. If they are particularly dirty I wash them just before eating.
Farmgirl Sister #17
Blog
www.willowtreecreek.wordpress.com
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kristin sherrill
True Blue Farmgirl
11303 Posts
kristin
chickamauga
ga
USA
11303 Posts |
Posted - Mar 20 2009 : 6:34:41 PM
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Same here. Sorry about your chickens and the hubby. Is he alright now? Glad you're back. I got 7 hens and 1 is laying every day now! It's so fun going out and getting eggs again. Well, an egg. Still fun, though.
Kris
Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. Maori proverb |
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4178 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4178 Posts |
Posted - Mar 21 2009 : 04:25:11 AM
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I clean mine before storing. My mom had done the same thing all the years she had chickens. We have never had a problem with any of the eggs. My girlfriend has kept eggs for over 6 months in her fridge, and she has not had a problem with any of them. Though I keep telling her not to do that.
Michele |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22937 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22937 Posts |
Posted - Mar 21 2009 : 07:44:45 AM
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I never wash farm fresh eggs until I am about to eat them. When I have access to farm fresh eggs, I just keep a special scrubbie only for the eggs- one of those green ones- and I scrub them under water. I have never had one that didn't come clean.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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StarMeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
940 Posts
T
MI
940 Posts |
Posted - Mar 21 2009 : 10:57:01 AM
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| I wondered about that too. There was a discussion in our teachers lounge just the other day about "cleaning" eggs. (We have a teacher that has hens and brings in the eggs) She cleans hers. |
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StarMeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
940 Posts
T
MI
940 Posts |
Posted - Mar 21 2009 : 10:59:29 AM
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| Oh...BTW Connie. Glad you are back and your hubby is feeling better. Bet you are happy to be home! T |
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southerncrossgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
631 Posts
Gena
Harmony
NC
USA
631 Posts |
Posted - Mar 22 2009 : 04:47:43 AM
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Okay, I just pulled out my book Storey's "Guide To Raising Chickens". They say to collect them 2 to 3 times a day to avoid them being really dirty. If the dirt will brush off, do that, or if they are really dirty you can lightly rinse them in water slightly warmer than the egg. Be sure to dry them off before you store them. They also said to always store them in CLEAN egg cartons.
That is usually what I do.
"A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes"==Cinderella |
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kelliraeb
Farmgirl in Training
29 Posts
kelli
Michigan
29 Posts |
Posted - Mar 22 2009 : 07:07:06 AM
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| Hey Connie, I thought I might find you on here. Been trying to catch you on yahoo for a while with no success... We have chickens now too, and ducklings and turkey poults. I am a rookie farmgirl too. Lived in the city all my life. Living in a town of 700 now and loving it! |
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knittingmomma
True Blue Farmgirl
106 Posts
Tonya
Vermont
106 Posts |
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Bellepepper
True Blue Farmgirl
1207 Posts
Belle
Coffeyville
KS
USA
1207 Posts |
Posted - Mar 22 2009 : 08:09:26 AM
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| We usually bring the poopie ones in the house. We don't put them in the cartons that will be sold. I use the dirty ones myself, washing them just before cracking them open. Or if they arn't bad just carefully open them. If I am using eggs right away, I use it (or them) right then and don't ever put it away. |
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Niamh
True Blue Farmgirl
140 Posts
Idaho
140 Posts |
Posted - Mar 22 2009 : 08:27:04 AM
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My husband has a weak stomach about chicken poop, so those that are poopy I wash when I bring in the house. The others I wait to wash until I use them. I keep them in separate cartons.
I'm sorry about your lost chickens. That's hard.
My farming blog: www.localfoodblog.blogspot.com
My living blog:
www.unprocessedfamily.blogspot.com |
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twzlrwho
True Blue Farmgirl
199 Posts
christina
dewitt
va
USA
199 Posts |
Posted - Mar 22 2009 : 08:34:28 AM
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I agree Don't wash until cooking time. Also to help them use the nesting box you can put golf balls or plastic eggs where you want them to lay. This might help encourage the use of the nesting box. Hope this helps and good luck!
Glad the hubby is doing better. Sorry about the loss of your chickens.
 Christina
Work like you don't have to, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like nobody is watching :) |
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Mother Hen
True Blue Farmgirl
604 Posts
Cindy
Peck
ID
USA
604 Posts |
Posted - Mar 22 2009 : 11:22:11 AM
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I rinse off my eggs that have poop on them with warm water, if really poopy then I use only a "certain" green scrubby just where the poop is then I store them in the fridge egg holder to use. If I'm getting a lot of eggs, then I put them in to cardboard egg cartons that's I've saved from before I had chickens. It seems during the summer, we get an explosion of eggs daily. I have kept my extras in cartons in the extra fridge(doesn't get opened but couple times a week) and have used them several months later and never had a problem. When I was a kid and we sold our eggs, there were lulls in sales so we would have to eat more eggs that had sat there for "a while" in the fridge,,,,again never got sick. It's all with what you are comfortable with.
Cindy
FARMGIRLS CAN DO ANYTHING!!!
I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. Psalms 34:1 |
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Niamh
True Blue Farmgirl
140 Posts
Idaho
140 Posts |
Posted - Mar 22 2009 : 4:31:19 PM
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I was going to say that we're more paranoid about expiration of eggs here in the states, probably because the vast majority of Americans grew up on store bought eggs which can be very old by the time they get to the store, so they don't last that long. When I lived in Ireland, people weren't so stressed about eggs. They kept them until they needed them and did the 'floating' test if they were *too* worried.
My farming blog: www.localfoodblog.blogspot.com
My living blog:
www.unprocessedfamily.blogspot.com |
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wooliespinner
True Blue Farmgirl
1311 Posts
Linda
Manchester
Ohio
1311 Posts |
Posted - Mar 23 2009 : 11:03:04 AM
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Welcome back Connie!!!
glad your husband is doing better. I haven't been on much myself lately. I had 2 surgeries , one the achilles tendon and the other shoulder. It kinda sets you back from the normal day to day life. Hopefully everything will get back to normal for the two of you.
Sounds like the chickens are laying well. Mine have been laying really well too. I just wash my eggs if they are really bad with tepid water for the people I sell them too. Otherwise just store them in the fridge the way they are unless its super duper poopy. That way they keep longer. Then wash before you use them. But its whatever you feel comfortable with. I know the unwashed eggs keep way longer then the washed ones though.
I had a lady tell me the other day that if you never put the eggs in the fridge and don't wash them that they would stay fresh for months. I have never tested this theory but it has me thinking......she says she has been doing this for years.
Linda
Raspberry Run Farm
Nubian Dairy Goats |
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Barnyard Buddies: cleaning chicken eggs |
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cleaning chicken eggs
