At this point, some of you may think I am a little crazy at times....or all the time, but hey, if some of us don't color outside of the lines we might not have anything to talk about!

I know, I know, eggs come from.....a chicken's back end. There is a high probability that there is some poop involved somewhere along the way. It seems that it the ONLY proper way to care for an egg is to wash it!!!

However, as I have told you before.....I love to read, and research, and question until I arrive at the answer that seems to make the most sense.....Plus, in the name of good homeschooling, everything must be a lesson!!! So, here is why I am comfortable NOT washing my fresh eggs from my happy, healthy, free range, organic, NON GMO, essential oil fed chickens:

Chickens are laying eggs to hatch! They are designed to lay in a warm nest for 21 days!! So, my eggs are safe and sound on my counter (as long as they are not cracked).
Chickens coat the eggs with a protective cover called bloom. Bloom is intended to keep bacteria out by sealing all of the pores on the egg. This is an evolutionary mechanism to ensure the safety of the potential chick.
Once an egg is washed, the bloom protection is removed, and bacteria are free to cross though the shell.......Eeeewwww
Washing eggs in cold water will push any bacteria, that may be on the surface, directly into the egg.
Washing eggs in warm water will safely clean the egg, but will still remove the bloom, and allow any bacteria looming about, to enter the egg.
Once washed the eggs MUST be refrigerated.
P.S. Factory eggs are commonly washed in a bleach solution.......NO THANK YOU!!!!!

I know all my chickens by name. We collect our eggs several times a day, and we even say, "Thank You!" We keep our nesting boxes clean, so our eggs are almost always clean. The occasionally dirty egg does happen. In which case we just lightly sand it clean!!

Go ahead and do a little research of your own. You might be surprised at what you find. Here are a couple of links to get you started:

http://www.mypetchicken.com/backyard-chickens/chicken-help/What-is-the-best-way-to-wash-and-store-my-eggs-H62.aspx

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/09/11/336330502/why-the-u-s-chills-its-eggs-and-most-of-the-world-doesnt

Blessings to you.

Thanks for reading,

Island Momma