6 Best Egg Sorting Trays For Small Farms That Prevent Cracks

There’s nothing more frustrating than hearing that faint crunch as you stack a full tray of freshly collected eggs. That sound is the sound of lost profit and wasted effort, a common occurrence when relying on flimsy cartons or poorly designed flats. Choosing the right egg sorting trays isn’t just about storage; it’s a critical step in preserving the quality and integrity of your flock’s hard work.

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Farm Tuff Plastic Trays: Durability for Daily Use

These trays are the workhorses of the small farm. Made from a thick, slightly flexible plastic, they’re designed to be dropped, stacked, and scrubbed without complaint. Unlike brittle, single-use paper flats or cheap plastic knock-offs, a good set of Farm Tuff trays will last for years.

Their real value comes out during the daily grind. You can carry a full tray with one hand without it bowing and threatening to dump its contents. They handle the transition from a warm coop to a cool processing room without becoming brittle, and they clean up easily with a hose and a stiff brush, which is essential for good biosecurity.

Think of them as a long-term investment. While they cost more upfront than paper flats, their longevity saves money and reduces waste over time. Their simple, open-post design fits most standard large chicken eggs perfectly, making them an excellent general-purpose choice for farms with a relatively uniform flock.

G.E.M. Interlocking Trays: A Secure Stacking Solution

The standout feature of G.E.M. trays is their interlocking design. Each tray has posts that securely lock into the one below it, creating a stable, unified stack. This is a game-changer if you’re moving eggs any significant distance.

Imagine loading a cooler or the back of your vehicle for the farmers market. Standard trays can shift and slide, leading to cracked eggs at the bottom of the stack. G.E.M. trays move as a single block, dramatically reducing the risk of transport damage. This feature is equally valuable for storage in a crowded walk-in cooler or refrigerator where space is at a premium.

The tradeoff for this security is a slightly more rigid fit. Eggs that are exceptionally large or oddly shaped might not sit as comfortably as they would in a more forgiving tray. However, for a flock laying standard-sized eggs, the stability offered by the interlocking system is unmatched for anyone who needs to transport or stack eggs high.

Little Giant Egg Trays for Washing and Transport

Little Giant trays are built with the washing process in mind. They feature excellent drainage, with holes and channels designed to let water and debris flow away quickly. This prevents eggs from sitting in pools of dirty water, which can introduce bacteria through the shell’s pores.

These trays are ideal for a streamlined collection-to-cleaning workflow. You can collect eggs directly into them, take them to your washing station, and spray them down without having to transfer them to another container. This minimizes handling, and less handling always means fewer opportunities for accidental cracks.

Their plastic construction is sturdy enough for daily use and holds up well to sanitizers. They stack reasonably well, though they lack the secure locking of G.E.M. trays. Consider these the top choice if your primary bottleneck is an efficient and sanitary washing process.

Kuhl Corporation Trays for Mixed Size Egg Flocks

Kuhl trays are the solution for the diversified flock. If you’re raising a mix of breeds—from Marans laying extra-large, round eggs to Ameraucanas with their smaller, pointier eggs—standard trays can be a problem. Small eggs rattle around, and large eggs get squeezed.

Kuhl’s design often uses a more open, flexible post system that cradles a wider variety of egg shapes and sizes securely. This versatility means you don’t need separate trays for your different breeds, simplifying your entire collection and sorting process. You can grab any tray and know it will work for whatever you find in the nesting boxes.

This adaptability is their key strength. While they might not stack with the same rigid precision as a G.E.M. tray, their ability to safely hold a bantam egg next to a jumbo egg is invaluable. They are the go-to for producers who celebrate the diversity of their flock and need equipment that can keep up.

Incu-Tray Egg Flats for Secure Incubation Prep

Preparing eggs for an incubator requires more precision than preparing them for the kitchen. Incu-Tray flats are specifically designed to hold eggs securely with the air cell up (pointy end down). This orientation is critical for proper chick development and successful hatching.

These trays are often made of high-density foam or specialized plastic that grips the eggs gently but firmly. This prevents them from rolling or shifting during transport to the incubator or during manual turning in some incubator models. The material also provides a degree of insulation, protecting the eggs from sudden temperature fluctuations.

While you wouldn’t use these for daily collection and washing, they are an essential, non-negotiable tool for anyone serious about hatching their own chicks. Investing in proper incubation trays directly translates to better hatch rates, protecting the valuable genetics you’re working to preserve or expand.

The Egg Skelter for First-In, First-Out Rotation

The Egg Skelter isn’t a sorting tray for the barn; it’s a management tool for the kitchen or farm stand counter. This spiral-shaped dispenser ensures you use the oldest eggs first, a principle known as First-In, First-Out (FIFO). You add fresh eggs to the top, and they roll down, pushing the oldest eggs to the front for easy access.

For home use, this guarantees you’re always eating the freshest eggs and reduces the chance of finding a forgotten, spoiled egg in the back of the fridge. For farm stand sales, it provides a visually appealing display that also serves a practical function, allowing customers to grab the next available carton in the correct order.

This simple device solves a common household logistics problem. It’s a far better system than a disorganized bowl or carton where older and newer eggs get mixed. The Egg Skelter is less about preventing cracks and more about preserving freshness and preventing waste through smart rotation.

Harris Farms Wire Egg Basket for Superior Airflow

Before eggs ever make it to a tray, they need to be collected and cooled properly. A wire egg basket is the absolute best tool for this initial step. The open-wire design allows for maximum airflow around each egg.

This is critically important. Freshly laid eggs are warm, and they need to cool down quickly and evenly to preserve the quality of the albumen (the egg white) and halt any potential embryonic development. Piling warm eggs in a solid bucket or pail traps heat and moisture, creating an ideal environment for bacteria to multiply and potentially penetrate the shell.

Using a wire basket is the first line of defense against spoilage and for extending shelf life. You can bring the eggs inside and let them cool on the counter in the basket before transferring them to a tray for washing or storage. Think of the wire basket not as an alternative to a tray, but as the essential first step in a professional-quality egg handling system.

MyWeigh KD-8000 Scale for Accurate Egg Grading

Sorting eggs isn’t just about separating colors or spotting imperfections; for anyone selling eggs, it’s about grading by weight. Customers expect consistency. A carton labeled "Large" shouldn’t contain a mix of medium and jumbo eggs. The MyWeigh KD-8000 scale is a favorite for this task due to its durability and precision.

This scale is robust enough to handle a farm environment, with a shielded display to protect against spills. Its "baker’s percentage" feature is also useful, but for egg producers, its accuracy and large, stable platform are the key selling points. It allows you to quickly weigh individual eggs and sort them into the correct trays for packaging.

• Pee-Wee: up to 15 oz per dozen
• Small: 18 oz per dozen
• Medium: 21 oz per dozen
• Large: 24 oz per dozen
• Extra-Large: 27 oz per dozen
• Jumbo: 30 oz per dozen

Eyeballing egg size is a recipe for inconsistent product and unhappy customers. A reliable digital scale is as crucial as a good tray for any farmer who sells their eggs. It transforms your operation from a hobby into a business by ensuring a consistent, professional-grade product.

Ultimately, the "best" tray depends entirely on your farm’s specific needs—from the breeds you raise to whether you sell at a market or just to your neighbors. The key is to see these tools not as an expense, but as an investment in efficiency, quality, and professionalism. By minimizing cracks and streamlining your workflow, the right equipment pays for itself many times over in saved eggs and satisfied customers.