POULTRY
From page 26
called bloom, so try to clean
your eggs without wetting
them. This means using
something abrasive to rub off
any dirt or droppings until the
egg is clean. This method
keeps most of the bloom
intact. Use a sanding sponge,
loofah, soft sandpaper or
abrasive sponge of some kind
to dry clean your eggs. Be
sure to occasionally sanitise
the sanding sponge, or
whatever you're using to clean
the eggs.
If your eggs are just too dirty
to dry clean you can use
water to clean them.
Sometimes they
get egg yolk on
them from a
broken egg, which
is impossible to
remove without
washing.
Make sure to use
water that is
warmer than the
egg temperature Encouraging a young child to collect the eggs is medium warmth,
behaviour can spread quickly
among the flock and, if left
uncorrected, can be difficult
to stop.
Collect the eggs as soon as
possible. Most hens lay their
eggs before 1000hrs. If you
can manage it, collecting eggs
twice a day can help keep
them really clean, and also
discourages egg eating.
Young children can be
encouraged to collect the
eggs as an introduction to
farm life.
Unwashed eggs have a
natural antibacterial coating
not hot, but not
tepid, either. Cold water
actually causes the pores in an
eggshell to pull bacteria from
the surface in through the
shell and into the egg, where
you don't want it.
Do not immerse the eggs in
water or let them stand in
water - rather wash the eggs
under running water from the
tap. Another method is to
spray the eggs in wire baskets
with warm water, let them sit,
an excellent introduction to farm life.
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then wipe them with a dry
paper towel one at a time.
Place clean eggs into another
basket.
Follow this with a sanitising
spray, using bleach diluted in
water for the spray mixture.
Then allow the eggs to dry on
a rack or in a basket.
Store eggs with the pointy
end facing downwards,
particularly if you are intent
on collecting a batch for
incubation.