I recently conducted a backyard chicken class, and many questions were asked, which led me to compile the questions and answers below. As an Extension Agent, I have been asked numerous questions about eggs. From experience, over the years, people have been misinformed about specific facts concerning the egg. Today, I will answer some frequently asked questions about the egg.
Should I wash the eggs when I get home from the grocery store? No! When the hen lays an egg, it is covered with a cuticle that seals the pores in the eggshell. This helps prevent bacteria from getting in the egg and prevents moisture loss.
Is the color of the egg an indication of its nutritive value? While eggshell and yolk color vary, they are not determinants of egg flavor, quality, nutritive value, cooking characteristics, or shell thickness. The breed of the hen determines the color of the shell. For example, white-feathered hens with white ear lobes lay white-shelled eggs, and red-feathered hens with dark ear lobes lay brown-shelled eggs. The color of the yolk depends on the diet the hens were fed.
Are the blood spots in eggs an indication of a fertile egg? The blood spots sometimes observed when an egg is broken do not indicate a fertile egg. The rupturing of a blood vessel causes it during the formation of the egg.
How are double yolks eggs formed? During the egg formation process, a yolk is released from the ovary. The ovary contains yolks at different stages of development, and the most mature one will ovulate first. Occasionally, more than one yolk is at a similar stage of development. Because of the time the egg stays in the different areas of the reproductive tract, the second yolk will catch up with the first yolk before the shell membrane, and the shell is placed around the yolk and albumin.
Do the backyard hens produce eggs lower in cholesterol than commercial eggs? Eggs produced by backyard hens and fertilized eggs do not have lower cholesterol levels than eggs bought in grocery stores.
Is it safe to consume eggs raw? Warnings have been issued against consuming raw or lightly cooked eggs.
Do hens lay an egg each day? This is highly unlikely since the entire process of egg formation
takes approximately 25-27 hours.
I want to credit Dr. Claudia Dunkley from the University of Georgia Extension. I got a lot of information from her; for more information on eggs and backyard chickens, contact Grantly Ricketts at 772-462-1660 or gricketts@ufl.edu.
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