Old duck eggs?! Trash?

[daidyducks]

Hello! So my baby girl (Pekin) lays 1 egg a day. (Wish it was more sometimes) but now Im just hoping it was less!

Since I am the only one that can fit through her little house entrance I can only go in about once a week when I visit my moms. (she stays there after an attack at my house)
So I couldnt make it one week. Then another week passed. I finally came the second week and scooped up about 16 eggs.

2 of them Im POSITIVE were already bad since they were stuck all the way at the bottom of her nest.
I threw those out

but as for the other 14 eggs, how can I tell if theyre good or bad? Should I just throw all of them away? I did the floating eggs thing (if they float theyre bad)
and all of them sunk (good eggs?)
my mom told me not to worry, she said theyre good.
but I cant trust a woman whos no "egg expert!"

What should I do? I cleaned them really good with small bits of water just to wash off the stuck hay and dirt.

3 of the eggs look like they were the most recent since theyre WHITE so Im sure Id just keep those.

p.s. its been rainy and extremely cold these past few weeks. dont know if that helps

thanks!

 

[dickhorstman]

Do you want to eat them or set them?

 

[daidyducks]

Ooops! Eat. Well, not for myself. My moms co workers have been asking for some.
Also, for my in-laws!

 

[animalsRawesome]

How cold is cold? It has been so cold here that my eggs froze because I didn't get them one night. I'll be watching to see what everyone else says.

 

[FarmrGirl]

Quote:
If you float tested them then you can eat them. Eggs can keep in the fridge for 4-6 months so unless you have a shell that's really permeable or really dirty or whatever... you'll know it when they float.

 

[daidyducks]

YAY!

I feel awful when I have to throw some out

because they came out of her!

my little baby!

(the dumb cats that attacked her also ccrushed all of her eggs that same night. and that same morning I had just found her sneaky nest.)
It tears my heart

but anyway, its cold like 40 degrees w/rain and sometimes in the 30's.
They all seemed to pass the floating test so Ill be more up to date when she starts laying her eggs. that way I dont hide when I give the eggs away to strangers

Thank you so much

 

[pekinsRus]

You should throw all of those eggs out! Start fresh now & save them. You should not wash them until right before you are going to use them! Washing them increases the chance of bacteria entering through the shell. All eggs have at least a 3 month shelf life. The chicken eggs at your local grocery store are not as healthy & fresh. As long as it is under 45 outside the eggs are safe.
If an egg is covered with too much mud, etc. & you're not going to use it, then pitch it.

 

[animalsRawesome]

Quote:
Why should she throw them out? She said it's been cold lately. You think they're no good because she washed them? - just confused, not disagreeing or anyhing

 

[DB_Tex]

If you suspect they're bad but hate to throw them out you can blow them out and save the shell of the egg for crafting. http://www.metzerfarms.com/Eggs.cfm?CustID=546250&EggType=Blown Paint them... decoupage them.... all kinds of possibilities!

 

[FarmrGirl]

I've kept eggs in a cold barn or the fridge for several months with no noticeable deterioration in texture or flavor. but don't just take my word for it, Mother Earth News ran an experiment in the mid-70's and published their findings: unwashed, homegrown eggs kept in the fridge (35-40 degrees) for 7 months in "as good as fresh" condition: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/1977-11-01/Fresh-Eggs.aspx

ETA: The following is excerpted from "Properties and Food Uses of Duck Eggs" by Rhodes, Adams, Bennett and Feeney of the University of Nebraska, 1960:

"The greater stability of Khaki Campbell duck eggs compared to chicken eggs is shown... Compared to refrigerated control eggs, duck eggs showed only small changes in white index, yolk index, or yolk height, even when stored for 7 days at 99 degrees. Chicken eggs, however, showed extensive changes. The results clearly show that no important differences between duck and chicken eggs were found and no off flavors were apparent after three months of refrigerated storage. The characteristics which were considered favorable to duck eggs were the greater stability to deterioration, the less pronounced chalazae, the reduced darkening around the yolks of boiled eggs, the reduced sulfur odor, and the lack of yellow color in the white.