health risks to backyard eggs?

[chickenfan]

Someone I supply eggs to has told me they have stomach problems and that they don't want my eggs any more. My birds are healthy and the eggs are generally clean. If they are slightly soiled I wipe them with a hot damp cloth. Do you think she could have possibly become ill from my eggs? Perhaps I should use a sterile eggwash instead of the hot cloth.

None of my birds has a runny tummy.

 

[Marigold]

She could have got an infection from all sorts of sources, couldn't she - salmonella from supermarket chicken, norovirus from touching door handles when out shopping, or just from poor kitchen hygeine. If she just doesn't fancy your eggs any more, that's a pity, but so long as you and your family, and your other friends and customers are unaffected, I wouldn't worry. Just do your best to try to keep clean litter in the nestboxes and discourage hens from roosting and pooing in them, so the eggs come out as clean as possible. I always collect the eggs before doing anything like poo picking, so they are handled with clean hands. I don't think the occasional wipe does them much harm if they're used soon after, but I'm sure you realise that bacteria can get through the porous she'll if it's washed, and I believe that's why it s illegal to sell any eggs that have been washed.

 

[dinosaw]

I wouldn't wipe them chicken fan for the reasons that Marigold gives, you would be better either selling them slightly dirty or using those eggs yourself. It's interesting what different people expect depending on the culture, where I live in Turkey the shop bought eggs are habitually dirty and generally very thin shelled and no one bats an eyelid. Btw its probably not your eggs that made them bad, if they are that quick to point the finger at you then you I would bid them good riddance.

 

[valeriebutterley]

I agree with Dinosaw, let her go and don't look back!
When the fox got my girls in late, june, I've had nothing but pleasurable comments about my eggs, and when are my new girls going to produce? can they be a bit quicker please?
I usually wipe my eggs lightly with a slightly damp tissue, but always hope to get to them before the hens start being silly over them. They are usually quite clean with only a bit of wood shavings or Aubiose sticking to them.

 

[chickenfan]

Thank you Marigold, Valerie and Dinosaw. We are a varied community aren't we if you live in Turkey, Dinosaw.

 

[dinosaw]

Yep people living all over the world on here chickenfan, France, Portugal, Romania, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and that is just off the top of my head, there is even a member living in the Seychelles.

 

[Lucylou]

I buy my pellets from a small farm who keep 200 free range, last time I was there I saw them wiping the eggs as they were putting them into trays so it must be OK.

 

[chrismahon]

No, that's illegal in the UK Lucylou. They will be registered with DEFRA to keep that many laying hens so they know the rules. They could be closed down for a posing a health risk like that. The natural bloom on an egg, which is the lubricant a hen creates dried out, protects the egg from the ingress of bacteria. The only time you would wipe an egg with a damp cloth, which must be warmer than the egg temperature, is just before you put it into an incubator for hatching.

I read recently that in America all eggs must be washed and then resealed with oil. So American eggs are illegal in the UK and vice versa.

 

[KittyKat]

I read recently that in America all eggs must be washed and then resealed with oil.

From what I understand, they are not resealed at all. My friends in the US tell me that their eggs go off if they are out of the fridge for 2-3 days. Explaining to them why it was ok for our eggs to be kept on the side when they came to visit was quite amusing!

 

[chrismahon]

You are quite right KittyKat. I've just re-read the article They are washed and then 'sanitised', not sealed. It is because they are not sealed they go off so fast out of the fridge. They must be stored below 45F in America, so they are sold refrigerated and must stay that way. So now you have confirmed what effect washing eggs in the UK has. They are not required to be stored in a fridge so may go 'off' in a few days with consequential health problems.

LucyLou should report that farm immediately.

 

[Lucylou]

Well I've learned something from this post! I knew that the bloom acted as a 'seal' so to speak but didn't know that was why eggs could be kept out of the fridge. I keep mine in the fridge but we now have a huge pantry with cold shelf & was thinking in the egg laying peak season if I could use it for the eggs - now I know!

Re my local farm wiping their eggs, on thinking about it I did wonder about regulations etc & I think they were using a dry cloth - does this make a difference to the effect on the bloom?

 

[Poultryman]

Except you'll be storing in a refrigerator, don't wipe dirty eggs, else they won't store well at room temperature.