Tod, I've kept chickens for at least 20 years. You're right that as long as you don't initially refrigerate them eggs will stay useable for as long as two months. In very warm weather we have noticed that fertilized eggs will start to develop the embryos, but even that doesn't effect their usability. As a matter of fact, fertilized eggs are much higher in protein than non-fertilized ones. Incidentally, contrary to popular belief, the eggs in your supermarket are not very fresh. Besides being up to a couple of months old some suppliers collect old eggs from stores, wash them, repackage them and return them to the stores "as fresh eggs". Aside from the horror of this procedure it is a testament to the longevity of the usefulness of fresh eggs. Rick M15 #337 Bluebird
Date: Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:33:15 -0400 From: <htmills@zoominternet.net> To: "'For and about Montgomery Sailboats'" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Subject: Re: M_Boats: No Refrigeration Article Message-ID: <001301ca1aba$92327520$b6975f60$@net> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Eggs can last a LONG time unrefrigerated. I've heard that it is best if they are never refrigerated (as opposed being refrigerated then left unrefrigerated) but I can't verify that. I've experimented with them and have had fresh eggs out on a counter *cheep cheep* for weeks with no spoilage (even though they had been previously refrigerated).
I haven't noticed any *cheep* ill effects.
Tod Mills M17 #408, 1987 galley model BuscaBrisas