Egg Candling
Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 09:30PM I've been meaning to write this post for so long! I am proud to announce that I am an officially licensed egg candler!! Whoopie!
So what is this all about? Well, we figured that there must be regulations around selling eggs from our farm, so we began researching. As expected, it was like a wild goose chase to hunt down information and resources. In the end, we found out that the state of GA requires that all eggs be candled, graded, stored at 45 degrees, and packaged according to state standards. We also found that the Department of Agriculture regulates this by licensing egg producers with a candling license and inspection of their candling facility. You can read the specifics of the GA Egg Law by clicking on it below. And who knew, but there is an organization called the Georgia Egg Commission! These helpful folks are the ones that sent me the PDF. Now, actually, there is an exemption where you can sell thousands of eggs off your farm without a candling license, but I wanted to do things right just to make sure there were no problems in the future...and getting licensed doesn't cost anything, so why not!
The next hunt was trying to figure out how to get licensed! I was passed around to many different folks, but I finally ended up learning that the Dept. of Ag. has a person in each region of the state that is in charge of eggs. I found the person who handled our region and she told me that when I'm ready, I will have to take a candling test with her to get my license. I said, "Great, but since all I know about eggs is how to scramble them, where do I go to learn to candle?" She first said that she would email me some learning materials that she has and I could basically teach myself. I said that I would really like more instruction and she said that in the past she has held classes and that she could hold one again once she gets enough interested people. In reality, I don't think that most of the Dept.'s people hold classes, so I felt lucky.
While waiting for the class, I read through the learning materials she sent and I also did lots of web searches to learn as much as I could. The best resource I found was Mink Hollow Farm. At the one day class, which I took in November, there was just two of us and we spent about 4 hours going through the learning materials. There really wasn't any new info here, but it was a good chance to ask questions and get clarification. Next, the instructor said, "Ok, now for the test. You must candle 10 dozen eggs." Then she brought out the eggs, each have a number written on them, an egg candler, and a form for us to write our answers.
Wait a minute! Throughout the whole class, we hadn't even seen an egg! We didn't get shown any live examples or any demonstrations of how to hold the eggs, etc. I guess the reading materials are all the Dept. feels is necessary.
Anyway, I was a bit frustrated, but what could I do except try my best. So I spent about 3 1/2 hours candling these eggs and a few weeks later I got the license in the mail! The next step is to call the instructor out to the farm to inspect our candling room, but this isn't set up yet, so it will have to wait. Basically, you need a room that can be made dark and that is clean. You also need to show that you have refrigeration, cartons, running water, and they need to inspect your process of candling and storing eggs. So, I'm pretty excited to start candling eggs since I found it quite fun! There are some really cool things inside an egg...but first I guess we have to get some chickens.
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Reader Comments (20)
Thanks for the info.
I have a few chickens and want to sell a few eggs...Thanks!
Good luck Tammie! From what I hear by others who are selling eggs off their farm, they can't keep them around because they sell out so fast. And they get such loyal customers that they refuse to buy eggs from the grocery store and would rather wait until the farm has more fresh eggs for sale. Sounds like a good market to be in!
Liz - have ya'll decided what kind of chickens
you're gonna get? I would like to get a few, but don't have a secure place to put them right now - we've seen coyotes in our area lately. So to get a pen built, I've got to convince hubby that home-grown eggs really are better than grocery store ones.
Ha ha! You should get some farm fresh eggs and then make him an omlet. There is a huge difference in taste. We've also used them for lemon meringue pie and home made egg nog and there's no comparison. There's all kinds of easy to build pen designs online. People have gotten very creative. Some as simple as a plastic dog house with some chicken wire stapled to it for a run!
I think we'll most likely get Rhode Island Red and Black Australorpe, but I've been looking through McMurray's catalogue this week and think I might not be able to resist some of the other more exotic breeds. I find it like shopping for candy...they are all so colorful and fun to look at that I want to have one of each!
We have 25 pullets. They are about 11weeks old I think. We LOVE them. They are 10 R.I. Reds, 10 Black Australorps, and 5 Buff Orpingtons. We got the Orpingtons because they are supposed to be really broody. They are all getting really big already and are doing fine out in the cold in our movable Hoop Coop.
I'm sorry, since they aren't laying yet I guess they aren't really pullets. It didn't feel right calling them chicks since they're so big now.
Hi Steven,
That's a great idea to have some Orpingtons in the mix. We would love to have naturally raised chicks as well. Where do you live? I ask because I was wondering how the chickens will do outside in GA's winter climate. It seems mild enough that they probably aren't bothered by it. What is your Hoop Coop like? I love the name!
Liz,
We live in Southeast Missouri and it is VERY cold here now. We do have one heat lamp in the coop right how but I have read that as long as they are covered in feathers they can handle the cold. They can't however thrive in wet and cold at the same time!
Our coop is a 8x9ft wood frame (I'd use all 2x4s if we did it again because 3 of our boards are 1x4s) with wheels on one end. We then used two cattle panels to form an arch or "hoop". Then we used "firing strips" to build a wall on each end. The back wall has six nest boxs built into it and the fron wall has a door. The bottom half of the front and back is covered in chicken wire and the rest is all covered in FREE tarps. The free tarps are what they call "sign faces". These are the heavy tarps that they print billboards on. The backs are white so they work great. My wife's uncle owns a sign company but I'm sure all sign companies end up getting rid of these really cheap. They will work great for covering hay or I'm hoping also to use one for making some type of shade for the cattle in the pasture.
hallelujah! you don't know how happy I was to find your site. For the past 3 weeks I have been going through everything you described in your quest for a candler's license. I live in Nevils, GA and contacted my local Ag Extension office to ask a few questions about starting a small production egg farm.I've spoken to the USDA, the Georgia Egg Commission and several others, but no one has been able to help me with hands on training. I was very interested in your comment about being exempt. Could you explain further? Like you, I want to have the license in case I need it in the future, but plan on having my chicks shipped in the next 2 weeks. Thank you so much for any info you could share with me. Kristin
Don't forget, you'll have plenty of time to look into licensing after your chicks come! We got chicks just before Thanksgiving and they are huge now, but still a month or two short of laying any eggs.
Kristin -
I'm sorry it's taken me a few days to respond, but I went back and looked at my notes from the egg candling class I took and I have written down that you can sell 30 dozen eggs per week from your farm without having to candle and grade them. This means that customers must come to your farm to buy them though. Also, I haven't seen this exemption written down anywhere, but this is what the Dept. of Ag. rep in our area told me. As far as getting a candling license and doing the grading though, I haven't found it to be difficult and so I would encourage you to do it just to be on the safe side. It was free too. You could call your local extension agent again to find out who is in charge of eggs for the Dept. of Ag. in your area and then call them to tell them you want to be licensed. They are the ones that give the test and inspect your candling room. From what I understand though most don't offer the workshop like our agent did. Her name was Lita Bird and they may be able to put you in touch with her as well. Good luck and don't let the maze discourage you. You'll figure it out if you don't give up!
Hi Liz,
I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. I really appreciate your taking the time to share your experiences with me. I've decided to attend a course at the National Egg Quality School in May. It was recommended to me by the Georgia Egg Commissoner's office. It covers everything you need to know about eggs, including candling and grading. My chicks are ordered and will be here next month!
I didn't even know there was such a thing! Is this the organization you mean?
National Egg Quality School: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/poulsci/eduopp/neqs/index.html
If so...cool, you also get a trip to AZ!!
Hi,
That's the place. It's a four day course. I have a sister in Scottsdale which is only a few minutes away-so I'll be staying with her. I'll let you know what I think when I get back.
Thanks, Kristin
Liz -
Remember me from the Sustainable Growers class! You guys have come so far in the last year - amazing!!
Well it has been 4 months and I finally have an appointmemt. Initially I was told all I needed was a egg candling license but it looks like I also need a second egg handlers license where the place needs to be inspected - seems like a matter of who interprets the law as to whether farmers are exempt from this second part. The only thing was that it was not exactly clear what's expected from a small farm egg "facility" - did you get any written guidelines as to what they might have a problem with.
Thanks for the blog !
Hey Patricia,
Of course we remember you and are glad to hear that things are moving forward! Yes, when I took the egg candling test I got my candler's license but if I want to actually sell graded eggs then I have to call them out to inspect my candling room. I didn't get anything in writing, but they mentioned some basic things like: a room that can be made dark, surfaces that are easy to clean, hot and cold running water, a fridge to store the eggs. And they will also want to see your process of how you collect, handle, and grade the eggs and see your labels or whatever you put on the cartons to show grade, expiration date, etc.
Good luck and we'd love to hear back from you after the inspection!
I want to get a candlers licence, where do I get one?
Taylor -
You'll have to contact the Dept. of Ag. and find out who is in charge of egg licensing and inspections in your area. They will be able to give you a test for candling.
i live in Cape Town South Africa and got two geese eggs today while looking how to eat them i found candling, from candling i landed o your site i had great fun reading about egg farming in your part of our planet.
Regards Erich
This would be good (and articles like it) for your tutorial section. Maybe a tutorial header on licenses and certifications required for the things you do.