This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you make a purchase, I make a small commission at no cost to you. To see my full disclosure click here. So, your chickens are laying! Yay! That’s a great feeling isn’t it? But now is there anything you need to do? Do you have to do refrigerate the eggs? How do you clean the eggs? I’m sure there are other questions that I am forgetting, but I think those are the main questions I get asked of new chicken owners.   So, when your chickens begin to lay eggs, the most important thing to remember is oyster shell. All of your laying hens will need access to oyster shell. You will want to make sure this is not mixed in with their food because the roosters don’t need oyster shell. Only your laying hens need it. I keep mine in a separate bowl that is always full. They use this to help the egg shells stay hard. If you ever get a soft egg, oyster shell is the answer. The shells will be soft if your girls aren’t getting enough. The brand I use is MannaPro. Of course on oyster shell the brand really isn’t important, the oyster shell is. You get it here on Amazon or at any feed store. Do you have to refrigerate the eggs? NO. You really don’t have to. They will actually last longer kept on the counter. I’ve had chickens for 6 years now and I have not put my eggs in the fridge yet. However, if you have to wash an egg for any reason, it has to be in the fridge. When you wash the egg you take the protective bloom off of the shell. At this point bacteria can get into the egg so it has to be kept cold. And this leads to last question I get asked by new chicken owners all the time. The final question I am always asked is how do you clean the eggs? I will tell the way I do it. I don’t. At least not until I am ready to use them. I simply put the eggs in the carton after I bring them inside. When I get ready to use them, then I will wash them to get all the stuff off the outside before I crack them into a bowl. This way I can keep the counter. If I get a really bad one though I will wash it and just put it in the fridge. I always check the fridge first when I go to use any eggs so I can use those first. If ever you are unsure if an egg is good or not, use the float test. For the float test, you put the egg in a bowl of water. If it floats it’s no good. If it sits on the bottom it is a fresh egg. If it stands up, use it now because in a few days it will float. Have a great day! Renee