Wondering if I should clean or sanitize the eggs before putting them in the frig. Some lay in the nest boxes but others lay eggs right in the coop. Our coop is a little small for the amount of birds we have so some of the eggs smell or are mildly dirty. We plan on building a bigger/better coop whenever this 4ft. of snow melts a little but for now, have to make do with what's there. What to do???

-- lisa (tepeeclan@nidlink.com), February 14, 2000

Answers

Lisa, I don't wash my eggs until I'm ready to use them. Washing them takes off the protective coating and they won't store as long. If the eggs are very dirty, I wash them and use them right away, or feed them to the pigs, or dogs. We have two dozen chickens and usually have twelve dozen eggs in the fridge at any given time, so I can afford to share the really gross ones! Hope this helps.

-- Patti Morris (pmorris@ecenet.com), February 15, 2000.

Boy Patti, what kind of chickens do you have? I am getting so few these days, I tried the peppers and still only have 3-4 out of 9 girls. I have 40 total, different ages, one batch should be laying any day. I was making a cake and had to run to the hen house to steal an egg right out from under the hen I have so few. LOL They'll come I am sure. Karole

-- Karole (Biz3boymom@aol.com), February 15, 2000.

I do wash the gross ones and the ones I sell. The ones for us I just clean off with a dry wash rag. I also do not refridgerate mine as the elder folks around me said they will keep longer. To wash or not to wash! Vicki McGaugh

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), February 21, 2000.

I usually wash eggs that I sell as well as the ones that are very dirty. Otherwise, I leave them alone so that they will stay fresh longer.

-- (ccqf@yahoo.com), April 30, 2001.