How long will eggs stay eatable?

Answer 1

Eggs really should be collected within at least 24 hours. The temperature and humidity of the chicken coop will determine how quickly the egg will start to deteriorate.

Even if the eggs are not fertilized they can still go bad relatively quickly if the hen house is hot. Eggs can be stored in a cool dry place for a week or longer and still remain edible. In North America it is recommended that we refrigerate as soon as possible but in many countries where refrigeration is not available eggs are often placed in a food pantry and consumed days later.

When in doubt, do a float test. Stale/bad eggs float in a bowl of water, fresh eggs do not float.

Answer 2

It really depends on the temperature outside and the condition of the egg. I throw mine away if it's not collected that day just to be on the safe side. If it has a lot of poop on it, I throw it away, too. Egg shells are porous although they don't seem that way. They are coated with a special coating from the hen, too, to help alleviate bacteria from entering the egg. That's why if you're going to incubate eggs you don't wash the eggs and use only clean ones that are fresh out of the coop without poop or debris on it.

The rule of thumb: when in doubt, throw it away. Don't take the risk with an egg that 'may' be too old. Within 24 hours is a good time frame to hold on to.

With all due respect, I would add that the protective coating which protects the forming chicks also works for us in that it allows us to keep the eggs that may have gotten a bit of poop on them safe for us until we wash and then consume them. That way we don't have to needlessly waste what we've been given to eat.