Does anyone have any problems with the eggs getting so hot in the nest box here in Arizona? I have young chickens just beginning to lay and sometimes I can't collect the eggs until late afternoon and they feel very hot. The temperature of the coop is obviously hotter than the run and I worry about the safety of eating them. Are they OK?
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I have a follow-up question. How long is everyone leaving their eggs out? or do you refrigerate them right away? I have been leaving my eggs out for about 1-2 weeks. We normally eat them up pretty quickly but there have been times when we may have had a few eggs on the counter for about 2 weeks. We haven't had an issue yet but I just wanted to get a consensus on what everyone was doing.
thanks,
Joanna
It depends on the temperature. Eggs degrade and bacteria multiply as a function of time and temperature combined. If the eggs have already been exposed to 12 hours of veerrrry warm daytime temperatures and then go inside to an 80 degree house, they are less able to have a long and safe counter shelf life. You're probably fine with the two weeks, but if you're concerned, I would start putting them in the fridge or eating them a little sooner.
We never have a problem with quality or freshness and we always collect our eggs in the evening. Our duck eggs, however, are sometimes laid out in the open. We have to be much more careful with them as the heat of the sun will cook the eggs that are in direct sunlight. Chickens are so good about laying in their nesting boxes, you should rarely have this issue with their eggs. If you have a random egg in the open yard, I would advise to through it out...or at least crack it open in another bowl before adding it to your recipe, etc.