Frozen chicken eggs…it’s that time of year. We’ve learned a lot thus far about just how much egg production decreases in the winter and just how easy it is for those few, valuable eggs to freeze solid before we can get to them!
There are so many new things to learn when one becomes a chicken owner: All About Our Breeds of Chickens, Everything You Need to Bring Chicks Home, Letting Chickens Till Our Garden, We Built an A Frame Chicken Tractor, and much more! But how exactly does one minimize the amount of eggs lost to freezing temperatures?
Pulling frozen eggs out of the chicken coop is frustrating! Egg production already decreases a lot during winter, so there’s no need to lose the few you get to freezing temperatures. Learn a few tips and ticks for keeping those chicken eggs from freezing before you can get them inside. I’ve even listed out more resources on chickens at the very end of this post.
How to Keep Chicken Eggs from Freezing
1. Make sure the coop is draft-free.
Keeping out those cold breezes is beneficial for both chickens and eggs. Typically, the warmer a chicken can be during the winter, the less her egg production will drop off. So be sure to check the inside of your coop for drafts before it gets too chilly out there. This little detail may save you quite a few eggs!
2. Insulate the nesting boxes from the outside.
Options include wrapping them in dark plastic, stacking straw bales all around them, or secure sheets of insulation to them. The goal is to make the nesting boxes the warmest spot in the coop!
3. Add extra straw.
Straw is one of the warmest bedding options for animals, so consider making the switch during winter if you typically use another type of bedding. Be generous with the amount too. The more you can pack in the better in my opinion!
4. Check often.
This is my least favorite option for keeping eggs from freezing…but it’s also one of the most effective. Put on the winter gear every few hours and simply check the coop for eggs. I usually have to tell myself, “if the eggs are worth it to you…you’ll go check!”
What About a Heat Lamp?
Heat lamps are not an option in my coop because they are an extreme fire hazard and chickens really don’t need them. Read more about my thoughts on Heat Lamps in the Chicken Coop right here.
Can I Still Use Frozen Chicken Eggs?
Frozen eggs tend to crack. This means the whole thing has a very good chance of being contaminated by chicken poop. So any cracked eggs (even tiny hairline cracks!) should be tossed.
Frozen eggs that are not cracked are safe for consumption! Store in a bowl in the fridge (in case any cracks begin to form) and use just like a normal egg. The texture may change a bit once cooked, but this does not make them dangerous to consume.
More on Chickens:
- Do Chickens Need a Heat Lamp?
- Letting Chickens Till Our Garden
- All About Our Breeds of Chickens
- We Built an A Frame Chicken Tractor
- Everything You Need to Bring Chicks Home