# Yard Eggs, Fresh Eggs, NOT store bought Eggs



## Fish (Jun 27, 2016)

We have recently got a couple of chickens and now they are laying eggs pretty regular now. I have 3 dozen in the fridge and another half a dozen sitting on the counter. Now we don't eat many eggs at all so the talk about making powdered eggs have came along at the perfect time because I was trying to come up with something to do with them. So got a few questions about non store bought eggs.

1) do they have to be refrigerated?
2) if not, how long do they stay good for?
3) if so how long do they stay good for?
4) do they have to be pulled from the coupe daily?
5) anything to look out for?


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## Stick (Sep 29, 2014)

I don't know, but I read through these threads with an open mind and a lot of free association going on, so when I saw that you keep your chickens in a coupe I immediately pictured a coupe de Ville up on blocks; then Mabelline, motivatin' over the hill in a coupe de Ville; then that old song about the guy who took some LSD and set his chickens free: "There were chickens in the corn, chickens in the peas, chickens driving Cadillacs to Washington, DC". I imagine they were convertible coupe de Villes, too, and those chickens were smoking big cigars. Around here we can't shoot coyotes fast enough to make chickens a worthwhile endeavor. Lucky to keep a cat for six months.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

Don't wash them and you can leave them on the counter. Wash the film off them and they need to go into the fridge. 
I don't have chickens but I buy my eggs from a friend who does. The difference is fantastic. Store bought are thin and runny.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Good job on the chickens Fish,

I don't know how long fresh eggs will last, when Mrs S visits her Pops and comes back with fresh eggs, we eat them up pretty dang quick. The powdered egg idea is a good one but if I were you I'd find a couple of friends/neighbors and see if they want to buy eggs from you on a weekly basis.

In the meanwhile get ready for some (in his best Bubba voice from Forrest Gump); scrambled eggs, poached eggs, fried eggs, egg omelots, egg custard, eggs over easy, eggs over medium, eggs tar tar...


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## Jakthesoldier (Feb 1, 2015)

Fresh eggs last as long as store bought eggs, minus shipping and store time. I have read and seen that rubbing your eggs in mineral oil will extend their lifespan to months rather than weeks. Something about exposure to air.


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## Targetshooter (Dec 4, 2015)

fresh eggs , wow , I wish I live were I could have fresh eggs every day .


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## ND_ponyexpress_ (Mar 20, 2016)

How to Preserve Eggs With Mineral Oil - Prepared Housewives


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

We have been eating eggs from our own chickens for 20 years now. And when they are done laying, they go in the freezer.

YES - pick up the eggs EVERY DAY.

We rinse ours off under running water and put them in the fridge. Remember, store bought eggs are a week old (at least) when you bring them home.

At the moment, we have about 25 hens and are getting 15 to 20 eggs per day. Once a week the wife takes them to the local farmers co-op and trades them for fresh produce. We also give them to some people. We do not sell them to the general public - this opens the door to government interference on several levels.

Feed your hens good quality layer pellets, or layer crumbles (same product - different form). We also give them our kitchen trimmings from fruits and vegetables.

Here are two places I HIGHLY recommend for newcomers, and old timers as well
Raising BackYard Chickens, Build a Chicken Coop, Pictures of Breeds
Chicken Forum - Chicken Enthusiast Forums

Have fun, and enjoy your chickens.


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## Mad Trapper (Feb 12, 2014)

My Mom and Dad once had a big chicken coop. Fresh eggs are the best. We rinsed them off and put them in a refrigerator.

The coop was about 15' X 30' and had the whole east wall in glass windows. The chickens had little doors that allowed them to go out and free range in a fenced in portion of a field.

One morning Dad went to feed the chickens and a ruckus ensued. About 10 partridge/grouse had came in the chicken doors for the morning sun and a free meal. They did not understand windows/glass. Dad let them be and they followed the chickens out later on.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

You should trade some fresh eggs to Moonshinedave for some mushrooms. Then you can both have mushroom omelets.

Seriously, you can also freeze eggs in ice cube trays, I use them for baking and scrambled eggs.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Get busy eating them eggs birds will lay 1 -2 a day depending on bread they will over time have days they lay none. Up your egg in take. 1000 ways to make them. The Dog will love the ones you don't want.
With 6 birds we give some away.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

My wife was raised in rural Mississippi, and she says she knows all about yard birds and I ain't getting none.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

A Watchman said:


> My wife was raised in rural Mississippi, and she says she knows all about yard birds and I ain't getting none.


Ask her if you can have ducks. Duck eggs are wonderful!


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Deleted
Bad Slippy, bad...


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## Gimble (Aug 14, 2015)

I'm down to my last 3 laying hens of my 50 hen flock. We're at the end of their 3 year run. Some were sold, some were eaten buy us, some were eaten by predators, some fell off the roost and landed in the watering trough (don't ask me how, they aren't that close to each other)... at any rate, I'm no stranger to eggs. My hens roam free is the non-snow covered months and forage for food. My yolks are the deepest yellow and they taste fantastic. I'll never get eggs from the store again.

We went round and round with how to store the eggs. Here is what we do:

1. Collect daily (we collect at night when we put the birds away and the routine works better in the winter vs. busted eggs that froze overnight)
2. Toss any that are really covered in poo (the chickens will eat them, shells and all) and make a note to clean out the nest boxes tomorrow.
3. Do not wash them, they have a "bloom" on them that will keep them.
4. Store them at room temperature on your counter.
5. Get rid of any that are too old if you feel weird about them, but they are probably still good.

Lots of videos, blogs and anecdotes online, so do what you are comfortable with.

My favorite snack is an egg flip. Its a quick version of eggnog.

1 cup of milk
1 raw egg
suger, hunny, maple syrup to taste
nutmeg
vanilla (homemade is best)

mix it in a 1qt mason jar with an emulsion blender and drink up

If you're selling eggs, let your customers know that they cost extra for washing. If you're selling them at farmers markets or grocery stores or restaurants, laws apply, so do your homework on that. They are a little onerous. (separate kitchen with 4 sinks, special chemicals, etc) 

Enjoy!


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## Fish (Jun 27, 2016)

thanks for the info. these are laying 2 a day each and they are adding up quickly but now I have an idea of what to do with them. Definitely interesting info on the mineral oil. Never had a clue you could preserve them like that.


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## Auntie (Oct 4, 2014)

Sharing information and learning from each other is why I am here.


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## hawgrider (Oct 24, 2014)

Should I Refrigerate My Farm-Fresh Eggs? - Real Food - MOTHER EARTH NEWS


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