Sooner or later, every backyard chicken keeper poses the question, “Are these eggs fresh?” And, fortunately for the many and ever increasing number of backyard chicken keepers around the world, our eggs stay fresher for much longer than store bought eggs. Typically, store bought eggs are already weeks old when you purchase them and usually last approximately thirty days from the packaging date listed on the carton. At this point, these eggs are not so fresh anymore. However, eggs laid by backyard chickens remain fresh for months when stored properly. You definitely can’t beat those odds!
1. The Sink or Float Test
So, how do you test if your eggs are fresh? So, glad you asked. Basically, there are three simple tests to determine if an egg is fresh or not.
Place your egg in a bowl or glass or water. Fresh eggs DO NOT float! A nice backyard farm fresh egg will sink to the bottom and lay on the side. Older eggs will still sink to the bottom, but may stand up a bit. As long as the egg stays on the bottom, it is fine to eat or cook with.
2. The Shake the Egg (Gently)Test
Hold the egg up to your ear. Gently shake the egg and listen for a sloshing sound. Fresh eggs DO NOT slosh. So, hopefully, you will hear nothing.
3. The Crack Open Test
Simply crack an egg open on a flat plate. If an egg is fresh, the egg yolk will be a nice spherical shape and the egg white will be white in color and amassed around it. In a slightly older egg, but still fresh, the egg white will look transparent; the older the egg the more the white will run when you crack open the egg.
One of the biggest benefits of keeping chickens is having a great supply of eggs that stay fresher and tastier for longer compared to those shop bought ones!. Nothing beats having home-laid eggs in the house for delicious meals and baking treats. However, in order to get a frequent, fresh supply of eggs, keepers need to look after the chickens that lay them. There can be multiple issues that are stopping your ladies from laying which is stressful for them and for you!
Don’t worry though – the eggsperts at Chickenpedia have cracked it! They have created the Eggs in Your Basket course to help you, help your ladies lay successfully. Discover crucial information to keep your chickens happy, healthy, and frequent layers. All your egg questions will be answered in this extensive course.
From double yolkers, to soft shells, no eggs, to odd eggs, Chickenpedia cover it all! Check out their great beginner-friendly courses today.
