A commonly debated topic in the chicken world is whether or not you should wash eggs.
I'm going to present to you some pros and cons of washing eggs. To begin, we must first look at what is possibly the biggest reason many people choose either to wash, or not to wash eggs.
1. Storing time
When unwashed eggs are laid, they are naturally coated in what is known as the bloom or cuticle.
For the sake of consistency, I will be referring to it as the bloom.
If you've ever seen a chicken lay an egg, you may notice it looks shiny and wet. That shiny substance would be the bloom. It dries in just a few seconds of the egg being laid.
The bloom acts as natural protection against bacteria entering the egg. This helps keep the eggs edible for a longer period of time.
Unwashed eggs last 2 weeks unrefrigerated and at least 3 months refrigerated.
Washing an egg removes the protective bloom and ultimately shortens the time an egg has to be eaten.
Washed eggs should be refrigerated and retain their freshness for up to 2 months.
Store bought eggs are coated in a man-made "bloom" allowing them to last longer than the average, washed, egg.
2. Dirt and poop
I'm sure you've gotten at least a few dirty eggs from your chickens before. And let's be honest, nobody wants a poop covered egg sitting in their refrigerator around all their other food.
A simple solution would be to wash your eggs. With a bit of dish soap and scrubbing your eggs will be nice and clean!
But what if you can't use all your eggs in time before they spoil? We love to make fun of our flocks in molting season and winter for slacking on the egg laying, but those things are lean, mean, egg laying machines. Sometimes you just can't use all the eggs in time. But what if you get a dirty egg?
Sometimes the poop can be removed with a dry cloth or scrubbing pad, but other times, it can't.
Keeping up on nesting box chores is a great way to prevent dirty eggs.
Check your nesting boxes frequently. Remove poop and replace the bedding often. This will help prevent poop from getting stuck to the eggs.
3. The "ick"
Some people experience what is sometimes referred to as, "the ick", when eating unwashed eggs. Knowing your consuming an egg that hasn't been washed has a pretty big "gross out" factor for some people.
4. Pros and Cons
Now that we've explored some of the reasons you may, or may not wash your eggs, let's look at a pros and cons list to conclude.
Pros:
Removes, feathers, dirt, and fecal matter.
Eliminates "the ick".
Removes risk of dirt from the egg contaminating other food stored in the same fridge.
Cons:
Removes the protective coating on the egg.
Shortens shelf life.
Takes time to wash eggs, especially if you have a large laying flock.
Other helpful resources:
https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2011/10/eggs-to-wash-or-not-to-wash.html
https://www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2015/04/should-i-wash-my-chicken-eggs.html
Note: If you intend on incubating and hatching eggs, washing them will result in an unsuccessful hatch due to a lack of protection against bacteria.
For info on how to sanitize eggs you wish to incubate, click this link. credit: @Debbie292d
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/sterilizing-hatching-eggs.79104/
