How Do I Clean my Eggs?

When you think of raising chickens one of the first things that comes to mind is, you got it eggs! We are here to provide you with valuable information when it comes to eggs…

Cleaning Eggs

When you think of raising chickens one of the first things that comes to mind is, you got it eggs! We are here to provide you with valuable information when it comes to eggs.

When it comes to eating eggs, how to clean them when they come out of the coop is a big deal. Your first thought may be to plunge the eggs in ice water, but restrain yourself because cold water causes the pores in an eggshell to pull bacteria from the surface in through the shell and into the egg. And that’s one place you really don’t want it. And actually unwashed eggs have what is called a bloom: a natural antibacterial coating.

If you can you want to dry clean your eggs, you can do this by using something abrasive such as a sanding sponge, loofah, sandpaper, or abrasive sponge of some kind to rub off any dirt or poop until the egg is clean. Be sure to occasionally sanitize the sponge or whatever you’re using.

If the eggs are just too dirty to dry clean wash them with water. Try not to immerse the eggs in water but rather wet them down under a running faucet or spray them. Make sure to use warm water, warmer than egg temperature, but not hot. Then dry the eggs individually with a paper towel.

Chickens produce more eggs in the summer and spring when the days are longer and less when the days are shorter, in winter. There are some breeds however that keep up egg production in winter. The top three are Orptington, Plymouth Barred Rock, and Rhode Island Red. You can help the chickens to lay more eggs in the winter by using artificial light. The idea with using artificial light is to get 12-14 hours of light with both artificial and natural. This means you have to time the light by turning it on when the natural light ends and then turning it off when the 12-14 hours are up. This is made easier with our auto timed light.

When it comes to egg production you need to decide what you want, how many eggs you want and how steady a flow you need. We just want to make sure you know what to do to give you the best experience possible with your chickens!