The Poultry Keeper

goodlife · Joined: 06 Jan 2007 Posts: 10

I've been searching the forum for ages looking for some information about the above, but can't find anything!

So - as the title says, firstly where should I be keeping the eggs? The girls are all laying well - and we're not sure whether we should be keeping them in the fridge or not? I remember reading pro's and cons somewhere, but can't remember what or where?

And also, how long can we keep them for? We've been writing the date they are laid on with a pencil, and are presuming a couple of weeks willbe fine? (Mum and Dad will be visiting soon, and will meet the girls for the first tie, and I want to make sure there are enough eggs forthem to take some home!)

Thankyou as always everyone.

(ps I did find a thread about how to post photos in my egg search, so now know why I haven't been able to and will sort it soon!)

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2381 Location: South Cumbria

eggs for sale have 3 weeks from date of packing which could be a few days after they were laid, it is not good for eggs to go in a fridge, then out, then in so eggs in the shop are kept out of the fridge but then recommend you refrigerate ! I was told a catering college an egg in a cold place deteriorates as much in 1 day as it would 5 days in the fridge ! but I expect there are many differing views personally I keep mine in the fridge !

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2381 Location: South Cumbria

eggs can be frozen if you want to, lightly whip then use ice cube trays the larger ones hold about 1 egg then they can be used for baking !

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3021 Location: Monmouthshire

I have always kept eggs in a fridge. those for home use live in the kitchen fridge. Those for sale as eating eggs, and all hatching eggs are kept in the egg fridge which which is kept at the 'warmest' setting - ie cool rather than cold

mojo · Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 4:14 pm Post subject:

i dont store any eggs in a fridge but that is my personal prefernce...............does putting a fertile egg in a household fridge kill it?? anyone know how commercial breeders (not egg producers) store their eggs?..........anyone have an optimum temperature to store eggs(scientific one)........... i try to only use eggs less than 7 days old to set to hatch and eggs less than 14 days old to eat...............i know some folks keep eggs longer..........but i can always eat mine before they get too old.................edited to try to make more sense...sorry

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2381 Location: South Cumbria

If I am hatching I keep them out of the fridge as would happen au naturelle and they never last long here either, used for quiches , baking or given away Smile

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3021 Location: Monmouthshire

For my own use, I keep hatching eggs for up to 14 days - mainly because I've usually sent out the youngest ones. They are in ordinary polystyrene egg boxes (not the packing boxes) and it certainly doesn't affect fertility, but of course the egg fridge is not as cold as the kitchen fridge. Since a laying out bantam was still adding to her clutch through a frosty period and they all hatched - I didn't discover her until she was sitting - I am of the firm belief that heat rather than cold is detrimental to hatching eggs.

mojo · Posted: Sat Apr 28, 2007 11:53 am Post subject:

henwife can you please do a temperature reading for me of your EGG frudge......thanks mojo

Sue B · Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 362 Location: Lincolnshire

I hope nobody minds me resurrecting this post. I've got to store some fertile eggs for a few days as I don't want them to hatch until after the 28th of May and wondered what the best temperature for storage is? How cold is too cold. I've got a spare fridge which I can run at about 5c would that be too cold? I've also got a cool garage.

Also am I right in thinking I should store them points down.

Sue

kated · Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 1744 Location: norfolk

I would vote for the cool garage and yes points down. I think they would be fine until about the 9th if they are fresh now. That gives you a hatch date of 30th May.

mojo · Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 9:49 pm Post subject:

a nice cool place point down and change incline of box at least twice a day( a book under one end of the box works)

CP · Posted: Sun May 04, 2008 11:02 pm Post subject:

Well I have always thought you had to store them pointy side down, but an article in the latest PP magazine says pointy side up!? Confused

Pekinout · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 894 Location: Cornwall

I worked at a poultry egg farm for a couple of years, with quarter of a million laying hens.

The eggs were brought down on conveyor belts, hand stacked into trays on trolleys and wheeled out into a chiller room. They stayed there for up to 2 weeks at times sometimes a month, then went to the packing station, again held there for up to a week or more then packed and sent to the supermarkets.

So the sell by/use by dates for shop eggs is a farce! Plus the eggs were all mixed up with battery hens/barn hens eggs all put in the same boxes, even free range boxes at times.

At home I put my eggs in the fridge if they're eaters. Hatchers I put in a cold room with no heating for up to 10 days. Pointy end down, and turn them twice a day.

If they're kept in a warm room the development of the embryo doesnt stay in suspension as it does in a cool or cold room.

It's best to incubate a week from laying, as each week that passes there's more risk the hatch yield will be lower. But you can hatch eggs a month old if you don't want 99% hatch rate.

Sue B · Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 362 Location: Lincolnshire

ooooh better get out to the garage and tilt them Shocked

thanks every one!!