What to do with my free range eggs?

[Darwin.]

The obvious thing is eat them. I currently get 21 eggs a week but with more chickens coming soon that could double.

Do I wash them?

Do I keep them in the fridge?

How long will they keep

I'll be giving away as many as I keep when they're all laying and I don't want to be dishing out rotten eggs to people

[roitelet]

Don't wash them it destroys the natural bactericidal coating on them. Keep the nest boxes clean and you shouldn't need to clean them unless the weather is very wet and the chicken feathers get muddy. Don't keep them in the fridge and store them somewhere cool pointed ends down and they will keep three weeks.

[fishpond]

Give some to the neighbour on the understanding that they put a barrier up to stop their dogs coming into your garden, or at least go 50/50 on the cost.

[Darwin.]

Three weeks is good. I keep plenty of sawdust in the nest box, I have to top it up again this evening.

[happyhumph]

Cake, ice cream, custard, meringue, more cake!

[Guest]

Egg custard, omelettes, pancakes (pancake day is coming soon), meringue, French toast/ eggy bread, boiled eggs (in the fridge is a handy snack), cakes (some of which can then be frozen). Enjoy them whilst you can you will miss them come the winter

[Darwin.]

I'm a big fan of cake. I'll find a recipe for quiche and start making brown bread too. I fed them the soft shelled on scrambled the other day and they loved it so that's the way any soft shelled ones will go in future.

[Darwin.]

I'm going to get a few winter layers if I can.