Backyard eggs and hygiene: collecting, washing, salmonella and children

Collecting eggs

• Collect at least once a day, and more often in hot weather. Eggs left in the nest get dirty, cracked, eaten or sat on.
• Keep nest boxes clean with fresh bedding, so eggs start out clean.
• Put perches higher than the nests, so hens do not sleep and poo in them.
• Discard cracked eggs. Bacteria get in through cracks.
• If a hen is laying outside the nest, find the hidden nest. Eggs found later can be of unknown age.

To wash or not to wash

• Many official sources advise not washing eggs, especially in cold water, because washing can remove the coating and colder water can draw germs in through the pores.
• Clean lightly soiled eggs dry instead, with a brush, a dry cloth or fine sandpaper.
• Badly soiled eggs are best discarded, or kept for your own use and cooked thoroughly.
• Commercial egg rules vary by country. In some countries, eggs are washed at packing centres and then must be refrigerated; in others, including the UK, eggs for retail are not washed. Your own eggs should follow the same logic: wash only if you will refrigerate afterwards, and never soak.

Storing eggs

• Store eggs in a cool, consistent place. Many keepers refrigerate them, which slows bacterial growth; keep them in the box, away from strong-smelling foods.
• Use older eggs first. Writing the date in pencil on each egg helps.
• Do not use eggs that smell bad when opened.

Cooking and salmonella risk

• Cook eggs thoroughly for babies, young children, pregnant people, older people and anyone with a weakened immune system, unless your national food safety authority says otherwise.
• Wash hands after handling raw eggs, and clean surfaces that eggs have touched.
• If you sell or give away eggs, food safety and registration rules may apply to you. Check with your national food safety or agriculture authority first.

Hygiene around the birds

• Wash your hands with soap and water straight after touching hens, eggs, feeders, bedding or anything in the run.
• Keep a pair of shoes for the garden, and leave them outside.
• Do not eat or drink in the run.
• Do not kiss or snuggle hens, however tempting.
• Keep hens out of the kitchen and the house.
• Clean feeders, drinkers and equipment outside, not in the kitchen sink.

Keeping children safe

• Public health agencies such as the CDC advise that children under five should not handle chicks or poultry.
• Always supervise older children around hens and make sure they wash their hands properly afterwards.
• Teach children not to put their hands or fingers in their mouths after touching hens or eggs.
• Keep hand-washing easy: soap and water near the back door, with hand sanitiser as a back-up rather than a replacement.
• Explain that a hen can carry germs even when she looks clean and healthy.

When to seek medical advice