Chicken Coop Cam
Goat Stall Cam
The more I learn about chickens, the more I think they are truly remarkable creatures. Just before laying an egg, the hen adds a protective layer called “bloom” or cuticle to the outside of the egg. This coating seals the shell pores, prevents bacteria from getting inside the shell, and reduces moisture loss from the egg – all designed to make the egg last longer.
Unfortunately, because of conditions at some large egg operations, commercial eggs are washed right after collection to make them appear clean and presentable. Of course, this destroys the protective egg bloom. To try replacing natural bloom, some commercial packers spray shells with a thin film of mineral oil – that’s why grocery store eggs sometimes appear shiny.
An advantage of backyard chickens is that we can assure sanitary conditions; so the natural protective bloom can be preserved. Most eggs come out spotless and with a clean nest box, washing after collection is unnecessary. Eggs that have their protective bloom will last for months, but washing them right before cooking is a good idea.
Occasionally, an egg will come out a little dirty, or feathers and nest box shavings will stick to the fresh (still wet) bloom. If shavings or feathers have gotten stuck, we simply brush them off while any eggs that are truly dirty we wash and reserve for immediate use. The bloom should never be washed off any eggs that are planned to be used for incubation and hatching; these eggs need all of their natural protection.
The fact that Mother Nature has provided for natural egg preservation, and our commercial food production methods immediately remove it, makes no sense. I wonder if the removal of “bloom” has any relationship to the salmonella being found in eggs, or if there are any large producers smart enough not to remove the “bloom”? Subjects for a different post on another day……………….
Related Article:
Great Post I wish more people knew this. There are a lot of backyard chicken raisers washing their eggs. I keep indoor/outdoor carpeting in my nest boxes and it keeps the boxes very clean.
Carol, that sounds like a great idea – I think we’ll get some carpeting and give it a try!
American companies wash the eggs because the Govt mandates this ridiculous practice!
Salmonella is found in intestinal tracts (both humans and animals but especially birds). But it also has found its way into the hen’s reproductive system. So every so many eggs (about 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 20,000) could be infected. However, commercial eggs are the real danger. They have more chance for groups of infected eggs to occur and for people to mishandle eggs. The removal of this protective covering may play a role in eggs getting infected. And these large industries pump out a lot of eggs so the salmonella can spread to more eggs faster. Those are my thoughts anyway.
I got the more technical information from watching Alton Brown (he talked to a CDC woman).
Until recently, my grandparents had never refrigerated their eggs. I guess today I learned why. Of course, I never quizzed my Paw-Paw about it. I still don’t think they wash them. I don’t understand washing eggs really. It doesn’t bother me if the eggs are dirty. I think we as humans (well, Americans anyway) just have an odd perception of how our food should be.
[...] More information on egg bloom: http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/2010/10/31/egg-bloom/ [...]
I would also like to know why they remove the bloom. I dont think it is because of salmonella though.(im not sure if you know this but i found it interesting) salmonella is food poisoning so you cant catch it like a cold. you get it from soiled meat or eggs. but even if the meat or eggs are soiled they would have to be improperly cooked (undercooked) to get salmonella.