How to Collect, Clean and Store Chicken Eggs

Are those pretty layers that you bought in spring starting to lay eggs? Wondering what the best way is to clean them? It isn't quite as straightforward as you think, and different sources give differing opinions on the best way to clean chicken eggs.

Gathering the Eggs

First things first. Before you worry about cleaning them, you have to gather the eggs. There are things you can do to make sure that the eggs you gather are as clean as possible, minimizing the amount of cleaning you must do.

Keep nest boxes well-feathered. Make sure the hens' nest boxes have plenty of shavings or straw lining them. If there's poop in the nest boxes, clean it out well when you collect the eggs and replace the straw or shavings. Likewise, if a hen has broken an egg, clean out the mess thoroughly, removing all wet or soiled straw.

Gather eggs early and often. One of the biggest reasons for poopy or broken eggs is allowing them to sit overnight in the nest boxes. Some of my hens seem to prefer to roost on the edges of the nest boxes, or even in them! (Bad hens!) Overnight, they poop on the eggs if there are any in the boxes, or step on them, breaking the shells. This makes for a lot more work if we miss a day of egg collecting. If you can manage it, collecting eggs twice a day can help keep them really clean, and also discourages egg eating.

Cleaning the Eggs

Learning how to clean eggs properly is key to keeping your family - and your customers, if you're selling eggs - from getting sick. Make sure if you're selling eggs that you check with your County Extension Office for the local and/or state regulations governing the cleaning of eggs for sale where you live.

Storing Eggs

Once your eggs are clean and dry, package them in egg cartons and label with the date they were collected. Store them in the refrigerator. You don't have to store eggs in the refrigerator, but they will last longer this way. Eggs are good for one month after the date of collection when stored in the fridge. (I actually find they're good for a few weeks after this, but I'd never sell them or even give them away that old. I bake with them or hard boil them.)

Use the float test to check egg freshness: fill a bowl with water and place eggs in it. An egg that floats has too big an air pocket inside the shell; the contents have evaporated too much and it's likely spoiled. Compost it. You can also use a strong light to see how much air space is inside an egg; this is called candling.

How to Design a Small Farm

You've been designing and planning your small farm in your head for years. Now you're ready - you have the time, energy, and land to make your dreams a reality. But the choices can seem overwhelming. So, where do you start?

Is Farming Right for Me?
That's really the first question you need to ask yourself. Some things to think about: what are your reasons behind wanting to farm? What knowledge do you have of farming - the labor, the techniques, how to garden? Will you be able to slaughter an animal, or part with one you've become attached to?

Set Goals
Before you start scouring the local paper for livestock, take a step back. What are your goals for your small farm? What kind of farm are you planning? It might be a hobby farm, where your farm is a supplement to a full-time job, something relaxing you can do for fun in the evenings and on the weekends. It could be that you want your farm to actually make money, eventually replacing your current job. Or, your goal might be to produce all the food (and possibly power) that you and your family need - homesteading or self-sufficiency.

Consider Animals and Crops
A small farm can range from a half-acre with a few laying hens and a small veggie garden, to 40 acres with cattle, dairy cows, sheep, goats, chickens, pigs, and acres of field crops and veggies. Some of your choices will be limited by your land and resources, but we'll get to that later.

First, let yourself dream. What animals appeal to you? What vegetables, fruits, and grains do you want to grow?
Make a list of everything you envision on your farm - even if it's years from now. This is your dream, your ideal small farm.

Assess Your Land and Resources
This is a great exercise for learning about your land and what's on it. It will give you the information you need to take your vision past Step Two and plan your first year of farming.

Plan The First Year
Here is where you marry your dreams with reality. Look at your list of things you want to grow and animals you want to raise. Read a bit about each animal to get a sense of how much space and care they require. Now check your farm resources. Do you have enough pasture land for those five cows, or will you need to build that over time? Do you have the financial resources to buy fencing for goats?

If you plan to begin a farming business, you'll want to write an entire farm business plan. The dreaming and assessing you just did will help you get started with your mission statement, which is a great place to begin.

Monitor and Reassess
Farm planning is an ongoing process, a work in progress. As you implement your plan, you may find it needs adjusting. Every season, take out your list of dreams from Step Two and the pencil-and-paper sketch of your land from Step Three. Have your dreams changed? Is there more to add, or things you now know you don't want to do?

Each year, sit down with your farm plan and decide what you want to tackle during the coming spring, summer and fall. Before you know it, you'll be well on your way to making your small farm dream a reality.