Hatching Heritage Chickens at Chosen Farm, a member of the Good Shepherd Poultry Network
A heritage chicken lays an egg and Jed Greenberg gathers it, but he never washes it. By not washing Jed maintains the bloom on the egg, a liquid that develops when the egg is laid. The bloom dries in seconds, but it covers the entire shell thus protecting the chick from bacteria. Washing, Jed says, lowers fertility and drives dirt into the egg which contaminates the inside. Unwashed eggs can be kept in a 60-70 degree room for 7-10 days, after which fertility drops. Jed stores his eggs in plastic egg crates with the bulbous end up.