When it comes to cleaning those beautiful eggs you collect from your ‘Girls’, there can be some differing opinions about whether you should wash them or not. We know that the eggs shells have several natural protective membranes that help keep bacteria and contaminants from getting inside the egg. However……if your ‘Girls’ are like mine…they love to get out and run around through whatever is out there….mud holes and ‘poo’….it just happens.  And our ‘Girls’ can’t help but track that stuff back to the nest when they get the ‘call’ to go lay their egg.   How can we keep our eggs from getting soiled in the first place? Follow these 3 easy tips:

1. CLEAN NEST OUT REGULARLY- Daily is great but I do it as needed and that works out great for me.
2. NESTS AREN’T ROOSTS- Build your roosts so they are higher than the nests. Chickens like roosting up high and I put nests on the opposite side of coop from the roosts. But if you have a rebel who wants to roost in the nests…just lay something in the nest at roosting time so she can’t use it.
3. KEEP YOUR COOP CLEAN- That’s a given but on those rainy, muddy and nasty days I like to scatter some straw, sand or shavings on the ground and floor to help keep the ‘Girls’ feet dry and clean. And check their vent feathers for ‘poo’, keep them clean too.

But let’s say you have a ‘Messy Girl’ who just can’t be neat and clean and you have to wash some of your eggs?  Most important things to avoid:

1. NEVER SOAK EGGS IN WATER– This will definitely damage those protective membranes and you don’t want that unless you’ll use them right away.
2. NEVER SCRUB THEM VIGOROUSLY- Wipe them gently.
3. NO SOAPS- If you are one who just feels better using some soap…buy a natural fragrance free soap. I haven’t ever needed to use soap.

There are more things you shouldn’t do but these are a start.

This ” TO DO” list will help you get those YUMMY eggs clean for you and others to use.

1. COLLECT YOUR EGGS OFTEN DURING THE DAY (if possible)
2. SORT THE CLEAN FROM THE SOILED RIGHT AWAY AND ONLY WASH THOSE THAT ARE SOILED
3. USE PLAIN HOT WATER AND A SOFT COTTON CLOTH…WET IT AND WRING IT OUT GOOD (I use T-Shirt material)
4. GENTLY WIPE THE SOILED SPOTS
5. IF A SOILED SPOT IS REALLY STUCK ON….MOISTEN IT, WAIT A BIT, THEN GENTLY WIPE OFF.  REPEAT IF IT’S STUBBORN
6. YOU CAN WIPE YOUR OTHER EGGS OFF WITH A DRY COTTON CLOTH IF YOU WANT ( I do those I sell to others)

Well this is just a brief discussion about keeping those YUMMY eggs clean and cleaning those that get soiled. The main thing I try to do is keep the ‘Girls’ healthy and happy. And I love to get a cup of tea or coffee and sit on the porch or out in the yard and watch them dig up every corner of my yard eating anything that crawls or flies. That’s a happy Chicken and it’s a very satisfying and peaceful thing to watch.

Happy Frugal Homesteading and come back and see us!

Marcia