Nebraska Poultry Newsletter - Summer 2026

Egg sales from smaller backyard flocks is quite popular through the summer at Farmers Markets and on farm vegetable, miscellaneous food stands.  Safe cleaning and storage of eggs from the home flock during warm months is a serious concern for the consumer of backyard eggs.  Are you following safe practices even though your operation is small enough to be USDA inspection exempt??   Here are some tips for selling the safest eggs for your customers, friends and family.

1.  Keep your hens nest boxes and spaces  clean of manure,  moisture and rodents.
2. Collect eggs daily and wash with mild warm detergent to clean shells the day you gather the eggs.  If the egg is very dirty do not scrub the cuticle off while trying to clean it just drives bacteria into the shell’s pores.  If the egg is too dirty discard as it shouldn’t be sold for human consumption.
3. Store clean and dirty eggs prior to and after cleaning  in a refrigerator at less than 50 degrees Farenheit to minimize bacteria growth and to keep the egg fresh for human consumption.
4. Candle the eggs to check for meat and blood spots,  consumers don’t want to purchase inedible grade eggs from backyard flocks.
5. It’s ok to recycle clean cartons.

If operating from a “farm stand” be sure to store eggs in a cool cooler and to refrigerate overnight eggs not sold during the day.  Remember “hot temperatures” cause any bacteria on the shell or in the egg to multiply at rapid rates increasing the chance of food borne pathogens such as Salmonella in the egg.  (And yes,  small backyard eggs will have a minimum threshold of bacteria present as most of the backyard flocks are not vaccinated for Salmonella).