The Lifespan of an Egg

My daughter, Meagan's, family raises chickens. Her hens aren't laying very well right now, but when they are, the kids gather the eggs everyday and take them into the mudroom, where a couple of the kids are tasked with washing and drying each egg carefully before they are carefully placed in cartons or egg trays, and refrigerated. The eggs can sit on the counter for a few days, if necessary, until someone has time to wash them, because eggshells have a natural, protective coating that keep them in good shape at room temperature. In Europe, eggs are usually sold unwashed, so they don't need to be refrigerated, but in the US, most eggs are washed before they are sold, making refrigeration necessary--because who wants to buy eggs spattered with chicken poop?

When young children are in charge of gathering and washing eggs, a few of them are dropped. This isn't a great catastrophe, since there are always more eggs to gather, and there is usually at least one cat or dog who is willing to help with outdoor cleanups. When toddlers are learning to crack eggs as they "help" their mom cook, a few eggs are bound to smash onto the counter or crash onto the floor, but it's a small price to pay for a valuable, hands on, learning experience.

Meagan's large family eats plenty of eggs for breakfast, and they use eggs for baking, as well, so they don't often have a surplus. Sometimes, though, they give me a dozen eggs, and I must say that those farm-fresh eggs are superior to store bought eggs in almost every way. They are fresher; the yolks are bigger and plumper, and almost orange instead of the pale yellow of commercially produced eggs; the eggs themselves can range in size from the tiny pullet eggs to extra large, double-yolked eggs that are routinely culled from the eggs going to supermarkets, just so each carton will contain uniformly-sized eggs.

And speaking of uniformity, or the lack of it, Meagan's eggs come in a rainbow of colors: white, of course, but also various shades of brown, light green, and pale blue. I would prefer to buy eggs that are multicolored, but I've heard that most supermarket customers prefer white eggs, even refusing to buy brown eggs in some parts of the country.

Meagan learned, long ago, that roosters can be mean, chasing young children at will, so her flock rarely includes any roosters and, consequently, her chickens' eggs are seldom fertile. Fertile eggs can occasionally be hatched by a broody hen, but most breeds of chickens have lost that brooding instinct. That's why some farmers and hobbyists buy fertilized eggs to place in incubators in hopes of hatching baby chicks. Chicken eggs typically take 21 days or so to hatch, whether in an incubator or under a diligent hen.

Meagan often buys a batch of day-old chicks in the spring, raising some for meat, and others for layers. The kids enjoy watching and holding the cute, little chicks who typically reside in their basement until they are big enough to move to the garage and, eventually, the chicken coop. 

Meagan's hens used to be free range, but they have been confined to the chicken coop, or a movable chicken tractor, in recent years, ever since her flock was ravaged by a neighborhood raccoon. She is doing everything she can to avoid another bloodbath.

When Easter comes around each spring, our family gathers together to dye Easter eggs. Brown eggs don't work very well for this--we tried, one year, producing mostly putrid green or unappetizing maroon eggs. Blue and green eggs usually lend themselves well to dyeing, if the kids choose their colors wisely, but fresh eggs can be very hard to peel, so we usually buy a few dozen white eggs at the store, hardboiling those for dyeing. Hardboiled eggs will last for a few days in the refrigerator before they become rubbery, but they don't last long when we use them to make deviled eggs or egg salad sandwiches.

The lifespan of an egg depends on many things: how you care for it, and who does the work; washing versus not washing; refrigerating, or not; how it's cooked or preserved. Have you ever eaten a pickled egg? They can last for more than a year in a sealed jar, and some people claim they are delicious.

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Just as an egg's lifespan is dependent on a variety of outside influences, each person's lifespan can be influenced by a myriad of people and situations. Such things as illness, illicit drug use, alcoholism, reckless choices, risky behavior, unavoidable accidents or violence: these can all shorten human lifespans. On the other hand, eating healthy food, engaging in daily exercise, living in a relatively safe environment, driving cautiously, staying away from drugs and excess alcohol: these choices can sometimes lengthen our lives. Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. (James 4:14)

Many things are totally out of our control, but our choices are often influenced by the people around us and on social media. In fact, some influencers on social media can make good incomes by simply telling their viewers what to do. It's important to think for ourselves, though, filtering out the bad influences and listening to influencers and others whose values mirror our own, or whose viewpoints give us reason to really think and sometimes consider ideas that might be outside our normal realm of thinking. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

I am convinced that the only way to secure an endless lifespan, is to Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. (1 Chronicles 16:11) So many people in today's world are self-righteous and self-sufficient, but I have learned that God is the only one who truly has any control over my lifespan, or yours. As Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." 

Rainbow chicks