# Dating eggs...



## Happeesupermom (Aug 29, 2012)

How do you (or *do* you?) "date" your eggs? Do you rotate the eggs you collect to use them "in the order collected?" Or don't you? I have a friend who writes on them with a marker the date collected (ex.: 4/1, or Apr 1).

I'm finding we've got so many eggs on the counter that I have trouble remembering which were collected first! But I'm not sure I like the idea of writing on them with a marker. Any suggestions, ideas?

Thanks in advance!


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

I just write a # on the egg carton as I fill them. 1, 2, 3, 4 ect. 1 means eat first and so on. If I get more than 2 doz in the fridge at a time I start pickling them or giving them away.


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

I used to get our eggs at Costco. When I knew we were going to be getting chickens I started saving the big flat cartons. I fill mine up front to back. When I use them I always pull from the front, and move the rest forward. I worked retail for many years and rotating stock is just a natural thing for me now.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

i date each egg & also add what breed it came from
this is only because i want to set them in the incubator every Wed.
if they were just for eating i would just put them in the fridge.


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## freddao (Apr 1, 2013)

Use a pencil. Not a marker. Rotation is key no matter what!


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Pencils work fine. I use them on my hardboiked eggs all the time.


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## VIVI (Mar 23, 2013)

I have a pencil and fine sand paper in my egg basket, and I write the breed and the date. All eggs are put in the bator at 9:00P.M so they hatch at night. I will collect until I have 36 or so, then place then in the bator. So I'll have staggered hatches at 7 days apart. Then I'll start collecting again if needed.

VIVI


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## Happeesupermom (Aug 29, 2012)

Thanks for the ideas! 

I really didn't like the thought of using a marker (egg shells are porous, after all), but hadn't thought about a pencil (duh!). 

I saw on the Internet some cool countertop wire egg stand, in the shape of a coil. You add your eggs at the top, and use them from the bottom. I thought *THAT* was ingenious! ;-)


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## GenFoe (Apr 3, 2013)

What about a grease pencil? Or charcoal to wrote on it if you are eating them? My husband said "won't the lead absorb into the egg?"


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## Happeesupermom (Aug 29, 2012)

Well, the pencil "lead" is actually graphite, which I don't think is dangerous.... But I could be wrong?


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## Energyvet (Jul 25, 2012)

Happeesupermom said:


> Thanks for the ideas!
> 
> I really didn't like the thought of using a marker (egg shells are porous, after all), but hadn't thought about a pencil (duh!).
> 
> I saw on the Internet some cool countertop wire egg stand, in the shape of a coil. You add your eggs at the top, and use them from the bottom. I thought *THAT* was ingenious! ;-)


Graphite. No risk.


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## JC17 (Apr 4, 2013)

A pencil, normal graphite one or a charcoal one. It wouldn't do any harm to the quality of the eggs. Just number them by collection date


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## GenFoe (Apr 3, 2013)

Haha I just said that to him. He says "yeah I thought about that after you went to bed last night"


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

VIVI said:


> I have a pencil and fine sand paper in my egg basket, and I write the breed and the date. All eggs are put in the bator at 9:00P.M so they hatch at night. I will collect until I have 36 or so, then place then in the bator. So I'll have staggered hatches at 7 days apart. Then I'll start collecting again if needed.
> 
> VIVI


 how are things in Tx Viv?
i set all my eggs every Wed. i'm always off on that day so that day works for me. each week i fill however many spaces on the turner that i have open. 
we date all our eggs & put them in cartons, when it's time to set we use the freshest ones & cook up the rest for the flock for their breakfast.


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## Happeesupermom (Aug 29, 2012)

VIVI said:


> I have a pencil and fine sand paper in my egg basket, and I write the breed and the date. All eggs are put in the bator at 9:00P.M so they hatch at night. I will collect until I have 36 or so, then place then in the bator. So I'll have staggered hatches at 7 days apart. Then I'll start collecting again if needed.
> 
> VIVI


What do you use the fine sand paper for?


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

Happeesupermom said:


> What do you use the fine sand paper for?


 it can be used for removing the poop
you never want to wash an egg that well be hatched


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## Happeesupermom (Aug 29, 2012)

Oh... I've wondered how to get them cleaned off without washing them. What grade of sand paper do you use?


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

Happeesupermom said:


> Oh... I've wondered how to get them cleaned off without washing them. What grade of sand paper do you use?


 i would say anything between 80 & 220 grit will do the job just fine for you

piglett


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## kaufranc (Oct 3, 2012)

Why don't you wanna wash them ?


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## freddao (Apr 1, 2013)

kaufranc said:


> Why don't you wanna wash them ?


The egg has a natural "bloom" on its surface that protects against bacteria. You wash it, your egg is more susceptible to spoiling (for eating) or not hatching. If you absolutely HAVE to wash it, do so just before cooking.


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## kaufranc (Oct 3, 2012)

Will they not hatch if you wash them before putting them in the incubator ?


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## freddao (Apr 1, 2013)

kaufranc said:


> Will they not hatch if you wash them before putting them in the incubator ?


I'm not familiar with incubating. Maybe someone else can help with that answer....
But from what I have read, for incubation, the egg should be handled as little as possible.


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

freddao said:


> I'm not familiar with incubating. Maybe someone else can help with that answer....
> But from what I have read, for incubation, the egg should be handled as little as possible.


if you wash them before hatching your hatch rate will be lower than if you don't wash them.
we put them in the bator "as is"
if one has a bunch of poop we just don't put that one in the bator

piglett

PS: frankie we are getting a few black silkies hatching out too 
also a couple with stripes on their backs, not sure what they will look like once feathered out.


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## freddie (May 21, 2013)

What about an Egg Skelter? Keeps the eggs in date order, and looks lovely!


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## Amysaviary (Mar 19, 2013)

I have an egg skelter and I love it but it only holds 2 dozen. U can fill it fast!!!


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

Amysaviary said:


> I have an egg skelter and I love it but it only holds 2 dozen. U can fill it fast!!!


we get between 5 & 8 eggs a day. soon we will add more pullets


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## kjohnstone (Mar 30, 2013)

Happeesupermom said:


> Well, the pencil "lead" is actually graphite, which I don't think is dangerous.... But I could be wrong?


absolutely right. You could also use the garage-sale colored dot stickers (write date on with tool of choice) but...that would get expensive...


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## anttrim (May 28, 2013)

*dating eggs*

I sell a lot of eggs at the local farmers markets. We keep track by dating the cartons. After i have had eggs for over three days they will go into the fridge. We sell very fast so i don't usually have to refrigerate, but i can tell a customer that these eggs were collected yesterday, or the day before by reading the date on the box. My egg customers really like that info and they all ways come back after having true cage free eggs. Some folks out there have never had an egg from a chicken that has never eaten a supplemented food. We are very fortunate. God bless


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## RickaRae (Aug 12, 2013)

Sorry for the duplicate...my internet is being a little testy...


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## RickaRae (Aug 12, 2013)

kjohnstone said:


> absolutely right. You could also use the garage-sale colored dot stickers (write date on with tool of choice) but...that would get expensive...


Unless you only wrote the day, not the month. Then your "1" sticker could be used again, if you transfer the stickers around. I use a pencil and just write the day. I usually know what month, and then, if I give some away (which I do, a lot!), the person I give them to knows how old they are as well.


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## jennifer (May 14, 2013)

I really don't date them.. I have a huge basket and I guess I just sorta use them or sell them in less than a couple weeks.


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## kaufranc (Oct 3, 2012)

So Jennifer, you leave your eggs out on the counter?


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

jennifer said:


> I really don't date them.. I have a huge basket and I guess I just sorta use them or sell them in less than a couple weeks.


This is how I always did it too. In two days that basket would be pretty full and then I'd place them in cartons and sell them...sometimes sooner, depending on how many orders I had. Two days or four days makes no matter when eggs are this fresh, so I never bothered and my customers never asked.

Now that I'm not selling, I just put them in a basket on the counter and use out of it until it gets too full and then I carton them up and give away the excess. Those cartons would have eggs of various collection dates but not one person ( even I ) can tell which eggs are which, so it lacks importance to me.


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## LadyGothic (Aug 17, 2013)

I went and bought a date stamp and ink and put a date on each of mine. I leave mine in a plastic storage container with a towel on the bottom on the counter. I have carton's for when I have people buying the eggs from me. I do this to ensure that the older eggs get eaten first.


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## Zakgirlsfarm (Sep 18, 2012)

Over here in Australia (Victoria) there have been changes to the law for selling eggs and egg products. As of 25 November 2014 we legally have to stamp our chicken eggs if we want to sell them.


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## jennifer (May 14, 2013)

Gosh I didn't see that there was a reply.. Ya I leave them out on the counter. I bet I use them all up in less then a week. I don't even really keep track of which were there first/ last I just grab them and bake! I usually sell a couple dozen a week and so we have no need for the dates.


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