6 Best Large Totes For Collecting Eggs That Prevent Cracked Shells
Prevent cracked shells on your daily egg run. This guide reviews 6 of the best large totes, focusing on cushioned and structured designs for safe transport.
Nothing is more frustrating than walking back from the coop and hearing that faint, sickening crunch. You just lost a perfect, hard-won egg to a clumsy basket. The classic wicker basket looks nice in photos, but in reality, it’s a demolition derby for eggshells. The right collection tote isn’t an indulgence; it’s a critical tool that prevents waste and respects the work your hens put in.
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Beyond the Basket: Choosing a Crack-Free Tote
The first rule of egg collection is that eggs shouldn’t roll. When they roll, they bump, and when they bump, they crack. That’s the fundamental flaw of any open bucket or traditional basket. Your goal is to find a system that isolates and cushions each egg from its neighbors.
The best tote for you depends entirely on your flock size and your daily routine. What works for someone with six hens will be wildly inefficient for someone with fifty. Key factors are cleanability, capacity, and ease of use. A container that’s a pain to wash or awkward to carry will just end up sitting in the shed while you go back to cracking eggs in your pockets.
The Hen Holster: A Hands-Free Apron Tote
An egg apron is one of the most practical tools for anyone with a small- to medium-sized flock. It’s essentially a wearable tote with individual, deep pockets sewn into the front. Each egg gets its own cushioned pouch, held securely against your body.
The real advantage is having both hands free. You can unlatch a stubborn coop door, fend off a broody hen, or carry a waterer without juggling a basket. The tradeoff is capacity; most aprons hold between one and two dozen eggs. If you’re collecting more than that, it’s a supplement, not a complete solution. But for daily collection from a backyard flock, its convenience is unmatched.
Little Giant Basket with Padded Dividers
This is the logical evolution of the classic wire egg basket. It’s a heavy-duty, plastic-coated wire basket, which is great for airflow and easy to hose down. The game-changer is the addition of a soft, flexible divider insert that creates individual cells for each egg.
This setup gives you the best of both worlds. The eggs are separated and cushioned, preventing collisions, while the open design of the basket allows them to cool quickly. The dividers are removable, so you can easily scrub both the basket and the insert. This is a dedicated, purpose-built tool that solves the egg-rolling problem head-on.
Egg-Safe Stackable Trays for Large Flocks
Once your flock grows beyond 25 or 30 hens, you’re no longer just collecting eggs—you’re managing inventory. This is where stackable plastic egg trays become essential. These are the sturdy, 30-cell flats that are designed for bulk handling.
The workflow is simple and incredibly efficient. You take a stack of empty trays out to the coop, fill them up, and stack them. The design prevents any weight from resting on the eggs themselves. You can carry 90 or 120 eggs back to the house in one secure, stable stack. For anyone serious about production, this is the only method that makes sense at scale.
Behrens Wire Basket with Canvas Liner Kit
Sometimes the old ways are best, with a slight modification. A galvanized steel wire basket is a farmstead staple—it’s tough, versatile, and will last forever. On its own, it’s a poor choice for eggs, but adding a simple canvas liner transforms it.
The liner creates a soft bed that cushions the eggs and dampens movement, drastically reducing the risk of cracks. It’s not as foolproof as individual dividers, so a gentle hand is still required. The major benefit is versatility; remove the liner, and you have a perfect basket for harvesting potatoes or carrying tools. It’s a simple, rugged, and multi-purpose solution.
The Farmstead Caddy: For Style and Safety
Simplify harvesting with the Fiskars Harvest Basket. Its dual-sided design offers a colander for washing produce and an enclosed side for carrying, while ergonomic handles provide comfortable, one- or two-handed use.
A farmstead caddy is often a wooden carrier with individual holes or compartments drilled to hold each egg. It offers perfect isolation, meaning zero chance of eggs bumping into each other. They are undeniably stylish and bring a certain satisfaction to the daily chore of collecting.
The practicality has its limits. Wood is heavier than plastic and harder to properly sanitize. They also tend to have a lower capacity than a large basket or tray system. This is an excellent choice for the hobbyist with a small, manageable flock who values aesthetics and is willing to trade a bit of efficiency for a tool that’s a pleasure to use.
Sterilite Tote with DIY Foam Tray Inserts
Organize and protect your belongings with these durable 27-gallon Sterilite storage bins. The stackable design maximizes space, while the snap-fit lid and tie-down options ensure secure transport.
For the ultimate in frugal and effective egg transport, look no further than your local hardware store. A simple plastic dishpan or small Sterilite tote combined with a custom-cut foam insert is a nearly perfect solution. You can use thick craft foam or repurposed packing foam.
Simply cut out egg-sized holes, creating a secure, padded grid. The plastic tote is non-porous and incredibly easy to wash and sanitize. The foam provides excellent cushioning, and if it ever gets too dirty, it’s cheap and easy to replace. This DIY approach is highly effective, fully customizable, and embodies the spirit of practical, resourceful farming.
Tips for a Gentle and Crack-Free Harvest
Even the best tote won’t save eggs from a rough hand. Your technique matters just as much as your equipment. The goal is to move with intention and care.
- Collect daily. Don’t let eggs pile up in the nesting box, where they can get trampled or cracked by the next hen.
- Place, don’t drop. Gently set each egg into its compartment. A one-inch drop is enough to cause a hairline fracture.
- Balance your load. In a basket or caddy, fill compartments from the outside in to keep it from becoming tippy.
- Don’t overfill. If you have an unexpected bounty, make a second trip. A crowded basket is a recipe for broken shells.
Ultimately, protecting your eggs is about choosing a system that fits the scale of your flock and your personal workflow. Moving beyond the broken promises of a simple basket saves you food, money, and frustration. A good collection system turns a daily chore into a moment of quiet satisfaction.
