[looe-looe-belle]

Hello everyone! 

It just occured to me(being a novice!..haha) but, say a hen layed an egg today...how long does an egg last for?...think I read somewhere that it was 28 days...correct me if I am wrong?
Anyhow, what I would also like to know is how do you mark your eggs? I was thinking of buying some bingo pens the thick sort of pens that people play bingo with?...do you get my idea?....so for instance monday - red tues - blue weds- purple thurs - green and so on....
However, how would you mark the date?....say for instance a hen laid an egg today which is thursday 15th July....therefore I would mark it green for thursday...but what about the date...15th July?
Then, I hit upon another brilliant idea and thought...ok, we have 52 weeks in a year...how about marking the egg with the colour for the day and another colour for the week???
Am I right in what I say?............anyhow, you guys here online who are amazing in what you do must have a difference strategy?

Please let me know..........all replies will be appreciated!!!

Many thanks!!!!!!!!! 

[GrannieAnnie]

Hi again looe looe, don't you ever go to bed?  

my eggs never last 28 days!  They get eaten, sold or made into cakes and frozen when I've a glut, but on average around 28 days.  I have had an egg laid which was bad when it was laid.  

but if you think, supermarkets eggs are usually at least 2 weeks old by the time you buy them, that's why they say to eat them within 2-3 weeks.

Egg shells are porous, so don't mark with anything nasty like permanent markers, or you could be introducing it into the egg. I only use pencil on my eggs.  if you were doing things seriously you can get date stamps and use food standard ink, but with the few eggs you'll get, I'd stick to pencil.

And another thing to remember, is that really fresh eggs don't make good boiled eggs, as you often find bits of the white come away when you try to take off the shell, but the best yorkshire puddings are made with the freshest eggs!!

I'm sure someone will come along and make the list longer!  

[looe-looe-belle]

GrannieAnnie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are a STAR!!!!!!!! ...........Many thanks for all your help.....................You GrannieAnnie are the CHOOK CHAMPION!!!!!!!!!!!! 

[GrannieAnnie]

Naw, I'm no different to most of the members on here.  You'll soon learn loads of things from the people on here Looe Looe.

Although hubby and I have kept chickens together for 15 years, its only the last 3 that I've got into it more, mostly because hubby wanted to be a poultry farmer, but it seems to be me that does most of the work!

And you're only getting me answering you at the moment because most of them have gone to bed!  Which is where I'm going in a mo if my Brian ever stops snoring!!!   

[greenun]

Is that 28 days in the fridge?
Some sources say don't clean them. Some people won't eat eggs that have been washed or been in fridge. We do it both ways although I lean towards cleaning them and bunging them in the fridge.

[Sassy]

I keep my eggs in the fridge because I have a cockerel and I would hate chick feathers in my boiled egg! All the chicken books I've read also advocate keeping them in the fridge.

I don't wash my eggs as you wash off a protective layer that makes the shell even more porous and likely to let nasties in. I might wash them just as I am using them if they were dirty. There are special products that you can buy for washing eggs but my life is complicated enough! and I, personally, don't feel it is necessary. However, if I was feeding young children or the elderly I would take more precautions.

[carolbriar]

Hi Looe-looe-belle,  I keep mine in an egg skelter.  You don;t need to write the date on the eggs, you just take the eggs from the bottom - the oldest.  I only have a few hens and it works very well for me.  They look nice too.  I keep my eggs in the kitchen but not in the fridge.  The egg skelter link is:  www.egg-skelter.co.uk  You can get them from other places as well.  Google it and you will see. 

[Craig69]

MIne is kept in an egg skelter on the kitchen side, plus i have a egg cage in the shape of a chicken for any over.
Date is written on the shell with pencil, even though they are on the egg skelter.
I keep my nesting boxes & house clean everyday - just picking the poo up & turning the wood shavings, so the eggs are very rarely dirty.
We have plenty of omlets & eggs with salad, & i also pickle a load which with last for months!

[Casey76]

Hi looe looe, I just write the date on mine in pencil.

I keep mine on the side in the kitchen (out of direct sinlight).  Mostly I am able to give mine to friends or work colleagues, but anything over a month old (and it rarely gets to that point!) I just boil up and feed back to the girls.

[looe-looe-belle]

 :DI must admit that egg skelter looks great!! you can also get these off of ebay coz have just checked...only thing is they are the same price BUT charge extra for postage!

I suppose I could just pencil the date on, although if I get hens that lay eggs which are very very dark brown - it could be difficult to see the pencil marks?

Many thanks everyone for all your kind help and comments!!