Proper Handling of Eggs: From Hen to Consumption

Layer House Management

The condition of the egg that you collect is directly related to how well the flock is managed. Feeding a well-balanced ration, supplementing calcium with oyster shell or limestone, water, flock age and health all can affect egg quality. However, since these factors are covered in other publications, this article will place emphasis on egg quality and handling after it is laid.

Coop and Nest Management

• Keep the laying flock in a fenced area so they cannot hide their eggs or nest anywhere they choose. If hens are allowed to nest wherever they choose, you will not know how old eggs are or with what they have been in contact…if you can find them at all.
• Keep the layer's environment clean and dry to help keep your eggs clean. A muddy outside run, dirty or damp litter, and dirty nesting material will not only result in dirty, stained eggs, but these eggs have a high chance of being contaminated with bacteria. Clean out the nest boxes and add deep, clean bedding at least every two weeks.
• Clean out wet litter in the coop and make sure the outside run area is not over-grazed and has good drainage.
• Supply a minimum of four nest boxes for flocks containing 15 hens or less. For larger flocks, provide one nest for every 4 to 5 hens in the flock. This will help limit egg breakage from normal traffic and daily egg laying. Make sure nests have a deep, clean layer of bedding to prevent breakage and help absorb waste or broken egg material.

Collect Eggs Early And Often

Most flocks will lay a majority of their eggs by 10:00 a.m. daily. It is best to collect the eggs as soon as possible after they are laid. The longer the egg is allowed to stay in the nest, the more likely the egg will get dirty, broken, or lose interior quality.

Collecting eggs at least twice daily is advisable, especially during extreme weather temperatures.

Other Considerations for Layer House Management

• Rotate range areas often or ensure good quality forage and cover areas for birds in outside runs to prevent large dirt and mud areas from forming by overgrazing.
• Prevent eggs from being broken to minimize a hen learning to eat an egg and developing egg-eating habits.
• Provide free choice oyster shells or limestone to help strengthen the egg shells.
• Keep rats, cats, predators, and snakes away from the hen house. They will eat feed, eggs, or hens and contaminate the coop and any feed or eggs they don't eat.

Proper Egg Cleaning and Handling

1. Collect eggs in an easy-to-clean container like plastic coated wire baskets or plastic egg flats. This will prevent stains from rusted metal and contamination from other materials which are difficult to clean and disinfect. Place eggs in the container gently to prevent breakage.
2. Do not stack eggs too high. If collecting in baskets, do not stack eggs more than 5 layers deep. If using plastic flats, do not stack more than 6 flats. If you stack eggs too deep you will increase breakage.
3. Never cool eggs rapidly before they are cleaned. The eggshell will contract and pull any dirt or bacteria on the surface deep through the pores when cooled. Try to keep the temperature relatively constant until they are washed.
4. Wash eggs as soon as you collect them. This helps limit contamination and loss of interior quality.
5. Wash at 90°F or higher and a min of 20°F greater than egg temp with an approved cleaning compound. Then rinse at slightly higher temp with approved sanitizer 50–200ppm. This will make the egg contents sweat and push the dirt away from the pores of the egg. Never let eggs sit submerged in water. Once the temperature equalizes the egg can absorb contaminants in the water.
6. Dry and cool eggs quickly after washing. Store eggs, large end up, at 40–45°F and 70% relative humidity. Eggs that sit at room temperature (65°F or higher) can drop as much as one grade per day. If fertile eggs are kept at a temperature above 85°F for more than a few hours, the germinal disc (embryo) can start to develop. If fertile eggs are kept above 85°F over two days, the blood vessels of the embryo may become visible.

If eggs are stored properly in their own carton in a 45°F cooler, they should hold a quality of Grade A for at least six weeks.

Grade and Sort Eggs

It is best that you grade and sort the eggs before you store, sell, or consume them. The easiest way to evaluate egg quality is to candle them with a bright light. This process can help you eliminate cracked eggs or eggs with foreign matter inside like blood spots.

How to Candle Eggs

Hold the egg up to the candling light in a slanting position.

You can see the air cell, the yolk, and the white. The air cell is almost always in the large end of the egg. Therefore, put the large end next to the candling light.

Hold the egg between your thumb and first two fingers. Then by turning your wrist quickly, you can cause the inside of the egg to whirl. Rotating too slowly will not allow you to see the entire interior, due to how the yolk is suspended in the center. Blood or tissue (meat spots) that will decrease grade will appear as darting shadows when the egg is twirled correctly. When you are learning to candle, you will find it helpful to break open and observe any eggs you are in doubt about.

Identifying Cracks

Cracks range from dramatic and bright to hardly visible. They will appear as thin bright lines on the shell. Applying slight pressure to the shell on each end of a crack will open it. This can be a good way to distinguish a crack from a cage mark. Cracks that do not leak because the shell membrane is still intact are known as checks. Eggs with checks should not be sold as shell eggs, but they can be used as long as they are cooked or processed immediately after collection. Discard all leaking eggs.

USDA Grade Standard

Use the specifications given in the table below to determine the interior grade of an egg by candling. Consider air cell depth, yolk outline, and albumen quality. A loose or bubbly air cell does not affect interior grade.

Air Cell Depth

The depth of the air cell is the distance from its top to its bottom when the egg is held with the air cell up and viewed from the side.

In a fresh egg, the Grade AA air cell is small, not more than ⅛ inch deep. When an egg air cell gauge is unavailable, you may view the air cell from above and compare it to coin sizes to estimate its depth, but note that this does not replace an official measuring device. As the egg ages, evaporation and thinning of the white causes the air cell to become larger and the egg is downgraded.

Yolk

The yolk of a fresh, high-quality egg will be surrounded by a thick, dense layer of albumen (white). Therefore, it moves only slightly away from the center of the egg when it is twirled on the candler. Because of this, the yolk outline is only slightly defined in the highest-quality eggs. As the albumen thins, the yolk tends to move more freely and will move closer to the shell when twirled. A more visible yolk when candled indicates a lower quality egg.

Albumen (White)

The character and condition of the white or albumen is indicated largely by the behavior of the yolk of the egg when the egg is candled. If the yolk retains its position in the center when the egg is twirled, the white is usually firm and thick. The size of the air cell is also a good indicator of albumen thickness and volume. A larger air cell is usually paired with thinner albumen.

Internal Spots

A blood or meat spot does not mean the egg is fertile, and both can occur in infertile eggs. Eggs with blood or meat spots more than ⅛ inch in diameter are classified as inedible. Eggs with small spots collectively less than ⅛ inch in diameter should be classified as Grade B. The chalazae (two thick strings of protein that keep the yolk centered in the egg) are distinguished from a meat spot by a bright area of refracted light that accompanies its darker shadow. Blood spot eggs with proper cooking can be consumed without harm, however, most people find the appearance undesirable.

Grading Exteriors

Remove any eggs with unusual shell shapes, textures, ridges, large calcium deposits, or thin spots if you plan to sell the eggs. These eggs are edible but break easily and are undesirable to most consumers due to their appearance. Imagine the egg in the carton. Will it fit properly? If jostled, will it break?

Also, do not sell any dirty eggs with debris stuck to the shell, or that have large or numerous stains that persist after washing.

Storage of Eggs

1. Store eggs pointed end down in an egg carton to keep the air cell stable.
2. Date each carton to match the oldest eggs it contains. Use or sell the oldest eggs first. You must sell all eggs within five days of being collected. If you are using them at home try to use the eggs before they are three weeks old.
3. Store eggs at 40–45°F with 70–85% relative humidity.
4. Never store eggs with materials that have an odor. Eggs will pick up the odors of apples, fish, onions, potatoes, and other food or chemicals with distinct odors.
5. Never hold eggs at or above room temperature or at low humidity longer than necessary. Leaving eggs in a warm, dry environment will cause interior quality to drop quickly.

Sale of Eggs

There are no laws that prevent the sale of eggs from a home-laying flock. However, there are a few requirements for egg sales if you are raising less than 3000 layers. If you raise more than 3000 hens you are required to meet a more detailed set of regulations.

Egg Sale Laws for flocks with less than 3000 layers

For flocks with less than 3000 layers, who sell within 5 days of lay, predominantly within a 100-mile radius:

• Refrigerate all eggs to be sold at 45°F or less within 24 hours of lay, including for on-farm sales
• Eggs must be stored in a properly labeled carton, flat, or container

Each carton must be labeled with:

• Name and Address
• Date of lay
• Statement of Identity (eggs)
• Net Contents (3/16" letters)
• "Keep Refrigerated"
• Egg safe handling instructions
• "Unclassified" if eggs are not graded and/or weighed

Eggs sold to Retail Food Facilities must meet US Consumer Grade B or higher. Follow the suggestions about collection, washing, storage, grading, and sorting above.

For marketing, it is usually best to size the eggs. Medium, large, and extra-large eggs sell best. Egg sizes are expressed in ounces per dozen.

• Small - 18 oz.
• Medium - 21 oz.
• Large - 24 oz.
• Extra Large - 27 oz.
• Jumbo - 30 oz.

Never sell eggs in cartons with another egg producer or store name on the carton. It is illegal to do so. Only sell eggs in generic cartons with the required information or ask your customers to bring their own carton to carry the eggs home.

Most small flock producers base their prices on the current store prices in the area where they live. However, many producers niche market their eggs as a specialty item and receive premium prices. If you have your birds in a fenced outside run and have one male for every 10–15 hens in your flock, you can sell eggs at a premium as fertile, free-range eggs. Brown eggs often will bring higher prices as well.

Remember, prices will also be driven by supply and demand. If you do not have much competition and have a good demand you usually can get a higher price for the eggs you sell. It is critical that you pay attention to quality and keep a constant year-round supply for your customers. Be prepared to replace any eggs that are not satisfactory to a customer. Learn about and correct the dissatisfaction.

What Is the Proper Way to Cook and Handle Eggs?

Consumers should always keep eggs refrigerated until the eggs are used. Do not store eggs with other foods containing odors like onions, fish, or apples. Eggs should not be eaten raw. Pasteurized eggs should be used in recipes that call for uncooked raw eggs (i.e. eggnog, ice cream, etc.). Pasteurized eggs can be found fairly easily in liquid form at major grocery stores. Eggs should not be combined and left to stand at room temperature before cooking for more than 20 minutes. Eggs should be individually cracked and immediately cooked to a minimum of 160°F. After cooking, the USDA recommends that hot food be kept above 140°F and cold foods be kept below 40°F.

References

USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Egg Grading Manual

Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture; Eggs, Fruit and Vegetables; Small Flock Producers

Reviewed by Dr. Paul Patterson, Department of Animal Sciences.

Further review and edits by Ashley Bigge, Penn State Extension.