When raising chickens or ducks for egg production you can often come across eggs that are less than ideal in appearance. No matter how hard we try to keep a coop clean a coating of nesting material, dirt or feces can often be found covering the eggs. For those of us that are producing them for private home use it is usually not a problem. I personally just wipe the eggs with a dry towel to get a majority of any foreign debris off of them before storing the eggs. This maintains the natural coating of the eggs and can help them stay preserved for a longer period of time.
If you are selling them then the DIY egg washer in the video above might make your life just a little bit easier. Most states require that eggs be cleaned before resale but each state has different ordinances so check with your Local Cooperative Extension for clarification.
Clean the eggs of any fecal matter as needed. Use a bleach solution of 1 tablespoon of bleach per gallon of warm water to wash any soiled or dirty eggs and use single-use, disposable paper towels. – Maine Cooperative Extension
Our friends over at Fivegallon ideas put together a simple tutorial on how to build the DIY egg washer that includes a materials list at the link below. One word of caution; use water that is warmer than the eggs. If you put warm eggs into cold water and remove the natural coating then as the eggs cool bacteria could be absorbed back into the them. Do not let eggs sit in the water for any length of time. Once they are cleaned; remove them, dry them with paper towels and set them into cartons. Good luck with your egg adventure.
Chicken Egg Washer
Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens
Here is all the information you need to successfully raise chickens — from choosing breeds and hatching chicks to building coops, keeping the birds healthy, and protecting them from predators. This revised third edition contains a new chapter on training chickens and understanding their intelligence, expanded coverage of hobby farming, and up-to-date information on chicken health issues, including avian influenza and fowl first aid.
