How often should you collect eggs?

How often do you collect your farm fresh eggs? In an ideal world we would all skip out happily and gather eggs into our aprons several times a day to use in our fresh baked breads and desserts. However, we all know that's not the real world.

We hope all the chickens are done laying by the time we feed them breakfast and a once a day egg collecting will suffice. Then suddenly you hear the egg song at 2pm and that idea goes down the drain. *sigh* So, how often should you collect eggs? How often is enough? How often is too much and just a waste of time? Why?

Well, it's been bugging me lately. I like to grab the eggs in the morning and again at night, and now I'm wondering if that's right or wrong. So I once again started researching and it turns out I am right! Well.....almost!

Fresh eggs need to be collected daily. Eggs should not be allowed to sit in the nest boxes for several days. Twice a day seems to be the a good number of collection times to shoot for. In average weather conditions that should suffice. 

However in the heat of summer or the very coldest of winter, eggs that are left all day could become unsafe to eat.

Turns out, how often you collect eggs from the chickens really depends on the weather.

Collecting chicken eggs daily

Winter:

You'll want to collect eggs more often in winter. Eggs that freeze and crack should be discarded. Remember, chickens walk through poop and dirt all day long. Even if you keep their nest boxes sparkling clean, they will have bacteria in them. You wouldn't want to eat a split egg that has poo bacteria in it, would you?

Frozen eggs that don't crack can be eaten. Freezing does change their consistency though so certain dishes may not work out right when using thawed eggs.

To prevent eggs from freezing and cracking, eggs should be collected 3 times a day when temperatures are below freezing.

Summer:

Ideally fresh eggs should be stored at room temperature or refrigerated. In the hottest months of summer the outdoor temperatures are much warmer than what is typically referred to as room temperature. Eggs kept too warm for too long can begin to lose interior quality.

Not to mention, if your weather is going on a 3 day stretch of 100+ degrees, then fertile eggs will begin to develop all on their own! In How to incubate eggs we talk about how eggs need to be kept at around 99 degrees to start developing.

To prevent issues in the summer, eggs should be collected 3 times a day.  

Fall & Spring:

Morning and night gathering should suffice as long as the nest boxes are kept clean.

Other reasons for collecting eggs frequently:

• Egg eaters: To prevent chickens from becoming egg eaters, the eggs should be removed often. 

• Poop: The longer the eggs remain in the nest box, the more chance that someone may poo on them.  

• Bacteria: Bacteria can be carried into the nest boxes by the chickens, especially on their feet. Since bacteria can't be seen by the naked eye it is not easily removed. The longer the eggs sit there...the more hens visit the nest....the more chance of bacteria getting on the egg (and inside through the pores).

• Temperature fluctuations: Eggs should be stored at either room temperature or refrigerated. When sitting in the coop for several days they are exposed to air temperature fluctuations. If it gets up to 70 during the day but back down to 40 at night, that's too much of a difference! A cold egg that warms up can sweat which can facilitate the growth of bacteria. What temp are your eggs stored at?

• Predators: Snakes love eggs. Leave eggs around too long and a snake might find them. Predators generally remember where they got their last free meal, so if Mr Snake finds them once he'll be back! The day might come when he comes back and there are no eggs.....then he'll look to chicks or even attempt a full grown hen! Other predators like opossums, raccoons, skunks and rats also like eggs.

• Breakage: Eggs are hard. Hens move eggs around in the nesting box to make room for themselves and their new egg. Eggs break when knocked together. Broken eggs get eaten which encourages egg eating of unbroken eggs. 

• Broodyness: Some people swear that leaving a clutch of eggs out will encourage a hen to go broody. I can't agree or disagree with this one (as it is a hormonal change). However, if you don't want a broody....why take a chance?

Now the truth is, most of us don't have the time to collect eggs 3 times a day. I'm pretty sure every chicken keeper I know has left the eggs out more than a day and nobody has died...right?

My guidelines here are for optimum egg safety so: At the very least carry an egg basket during feeding times, or coop opening and closing and just grab them while there. I know I work way too hard taking care of my flock to lose the eggs they so sweetly provide me!

Now since you have all those eggs head on over and check out these 50 Egg recipes at The food Network or check out the 5 Ways to preserve eggs from Preparedness Mama.

Want to know more about farm fresh chicken eggs? Click here for my other posts on everything you ever wanted to know about eggs!

~L

Oh, and if you plan on hatching those eggs check out my post: How to store and handle eggs to get the best hatch rate.


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