What is the Bloom of an Egg?

Home » The Homestead » Keeping Chickens & Chicken Care » What is the Bloom of an Egg?

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. Posts may contain affiliate links.

Chickens 101: What does it mean when someone talks about the “bloom” or “cuticle” of an egg? What is it, and what is its purpose?

Chickens 101: What does it mean when someone talks about the “bloom” or “cuticle” of an egg? What is it, and what is its purpose?"

What is the Bloom?

The “bloom” of an egg in an invisible coating that the hen’s body will “lay” on top of the shell of the egg. The bloom is also known as the cuticle of the eggs.

How to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs (In the Instant Pot) This is the secret for easily peelable eggs - especially those fresh farm eggs that can never seem to come out of the shell! | Cosmopolitan Cornbread

What does the Bloom do?

Very simply, the  bloom of an egg protects it. You see, egg shells are not solid. They are actually porous. The pores allow oxygen to move through the shell for the baby chick.

The bloom serves as a protective barrier to keep the inside of the egg safe from bacteria. That is how an egg can sit in a nesting box for three weeks, as that little baby chick grows inside, and remain safe from the not-so-always clean environment in the nest.

Not only does the bloom protect a fertilized egg that a chick is growing in, but it is also great for the unfertilized eggs you eat.

You see, the bloom protects the inside of the egg, serving as a natural preservative. This means that as long as the bloom stays intact, your eggs will stay fresher longer than an egg without a bloom.

My Grandma's egg basket with a collection of the day's eggs.

How is a Bloom Removed?

The bloom of an egg will generally remain intact as long as the egg has not been washed or cracked.

Additionally, eggs that get especially dirty can have the bloom damaged. This is one of the many reasons  that it is so important to keep your chicken coop clean. If your nesting boxes get dirty, the bloom can be disrupted, allowing dangerous bacteria to gain access to the eggs.

This is how people are able store eggs in a pantry or on the kitchen counter. Clean, unwashed eggs still have the bloom and will remain fresh much longer than a washed egg.

However, once an egg has been washed, thereby removing the bloom, the egg must be refrigerated.

You May Also Be Interested In:

Free Range: What it Is and What it Isn’t

How to Add New Chickens to Your Existing Flock

How to Tame a Rooster

How to Build an A-Frame Chicken Coop | FREE Plans for the Movable Chicken Sled

Chickens 101: What does it mean when someone talks about the “bloom” or “cuticle” of an egg? What is it, and what is its purpose?"

I love hearing from you! Comments, thoughts and questions are always welcome. Manners are requisite. Your email address is never published. Don't forget to rate recipes!

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.