Eggs, meat and manure, step by step
Interactive lesson: from the nest box to the plate and back to the garden — collecting and cleaning eggs, storage and freshness, salmonella, meat and chicken manure in the compost.
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The whole lesson as text
1. Collecting eggs
An egg has to be collected clean and on time, before it gets dirty or cracks.
- Once or twice a day — Collect eggs at least once a day, and twice a day in summer and in frost. Late morning and afternoon are best.
- Nothing overnight — An egg left in the nest overnight gets dirty, cracks or freezes. It also attracts rats, mink, raccoons and snakes.
- Basket and sorting — Collect into a clean basket or egg trays, not a bucket where eggs knock together. Set aside dirty, cracked and odd eggs straight away.
- Record and hands — Write the number of eggs in the record, so you know how the flock is laying, and mark the date in pencil or on the tray. Wash your hands after collecting.
Why: Hens lay most in the morning. Eggs left in the nest overnight get dirty, crack under the hens and attract rats, mink, raccoons and snakes. They encourage hens to go broody, and in winter they freeze and crack.
- Eggs in the hay or under a bush mean the hens don't have enough nest boxes, or the boxes aren't dark and quiet enough.
- Don't eat an egg found outside the nest if you don't know how old it is: cook it for the dog or throw it away.
2. Clean eggs and washing
The best egg is one that doesn't need washing.
- Clean nest boxes — One nest box per 4–5 hens, and perches higher than the boxes so the hens don't sleep in them. Change the nest bedding as soon as it's dirty.
- Dry first — Take off a little dirt with a dry cloth, a soft brush or fine sandpaper. Such an egg can be kept as clean.
- Warm water, briefly — Rinse a dirty egg briefly under running water warmer than the egg, roughly 35–45 °C (95–113 °F), without soaking. Never soak it in cold water: the egg then draws water and bacteria in through the pores.
- Dry and into the fridge — Dry a washed egg at once and put it in the fridge. Use it first.
Why: A fresh egg has a thin protective coat on the shell, the cuticle or bloom, that closes the pores and keeps bacteria out. Washing removes it. So stop the dirt in the hen house, not at the sink.
- If you sell eggs, check the rules before you wash them: in the UK, Ireland and the EU, Class A eggs are not washed; in the US and Canada graded eggs are washed and must be kept refrigerated.
- Use a very dirty or cracked egg the same day, only well cooked or baked, or throw it away.
3. Storage and freshness · Locked
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4. Salmonella and safety · Locked
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5. Meat: which birds and when · Locked
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6. Chicken manure and compost · Locked
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