Cloudy Egg Whites

[dprevis]

My 3 year-old RI Red's eggs recently started to look funny - the whites are thick and cloudy and they cling to the yolk. Does anyone know what this is? Are they safe to eat?

[greg rountree]

Well--I don't know what causes it--but if your are the least bit suspicious about the quality of an egg--don't eat it! :roll: Greg

[cathryn]

I was told that clean, fresh eggs that have cloudy whites means the egg is freshly laid, it has to do with the Oxygen and CO2 exchange to support a fertile, incubated egg . Older eggs have clear whites. A medium egg has approximately 6-7,000 pores for gas exchanges during a chick's incubation. Your slightly, cloudy, whites in clean, freshly laid eggs mean your egg is good and fresh. At least that is what I was told. Cathryn

[dprevis]

Thanks! They were freshly laid and we ate them with no problem. She started molting shortly afterwards so maybe hormones had something to do with it.

[cathryn]

I looked it up again, it means your egg is freshly laid. You are welcome. Cathryn