Had my first egg yesterday and one today so excited!!!!Do you refridgerate them immediatly and do you wash them off?I hope the rest will start soon they are 5 1/2 months oldThe gold comet was the first and I have black sexlinks She sure was noisy after she laid that egg.We were outside doing something and I run to see what was wrong with her.
my first egg
I wash mine immediately in Luke warm water and let them air dry on a towel and then puy them in the frig immediately. In fact on really hot days I collect eggs 3 or 4 times a day. The warmer they get the more they lose their quality.
Sheila
On the other hand, in France they rarely refrigrate eggs--which is why they are always telling you to bring the eggs to room temp before making omelets or meringues. But if you don't refrigerate you can't wash them--cause the coating the hen leaves to protect the inside from contamination (called the "bloom") will wash off and they will be very vulnerable to contamination through the pores.
They do keep longer refrigerated--so I guess that is always safer.
Green - are you planning on eating them or incubating them? If eating, I just refrigerate immediately and usually wash before using in the recipe or whatever. If you want to wash immediately, use water that is warmer than the egg like Sheila said because there is less chance of contamination that way. If you plan on hatching any, don't put them in the fridge! If I know I'm going to use them all within a week, I don't bother to refrigerate. Like Catscan said, you don't have to, especially if you know they will be used soon. They look pretty in small baskets.
Good question;.. I'm sure I will be referring back to this in a few months!
Congrats to you Green!
Thanks everyone