Author Topic: Washing hatching eggs (Read 3077 times)

Stereo · « **on:** March 05, 2015, 06:58:39 pm »

Probably an old topic but I've just bought some quite expensive eggs and they are a bit muddy. Looks like honest mud rather than muck. Not too bad but I don't think I would have sold them in that state. Anyway, to wash or not to wash? I've washed eggs before and it hasn't caused a problem but I've also seen an old boy in the village incubating eggs and he just puts them in whatever state. Is it better to leave the protective covering on and not worry about a little mud or try to clean it all off?

Our best hatching success has always been with broodies and they don't seem to worry too much about sanitation!

mojocafa · « **Reply #1 on:** March 05, 2015, 07:07:27 pm »

I have just put shetland duck eggs in incubator and they are so dirty, but if chose not to clean them, like you said, if duck went broody and made her own nest, they would probably be muckier

Mammyshaz · « **Reply #2 on:** March 05, 2015, 07:08:43 pm »

With egg shells being porous I believe the danger is in washing bacteria into the egg. I have wiped away excess with dry kitchen paper when they had thick dirty areas, otherwise they get hatched as they are.

Brinsea do a disinfectant egg wash which I think minimises the amount of bacteria which is likely to get through without doing damage to the embryo

Clansman · « **Reply #3 on:** March 05, 2015, 07:10:05 pm »

It definitely doesn't do any good other from a hatching/fertility point of view other than make them look nicer.

Washing removes the protective cuticle covering on the egg which keeps out bacteria, even dry cleaning them will remove it.

Washing would be a very last resort for me, I won't say i've never done it but I don't do it very often.

I'd just stick them in as they are, as you said, the hen doesn't wash them

But yeah, I have had some manky hatching eggs through the post!

get some fresh bedding and nesting material down folks!

lord flynn · « **Reply #4 on:** March 05, 2015, 07:17:48 pm »

I've been wondering about this-I know people who swear by disinfecting them and I have wondered in the past if mucky eggs (postal) contributed to poor hatches. I have even had quite dirty eggs sent by important members of breed societies

I am about to set some of my own and a couple are a little muddy (but by a hen that doesn't lay massively well so rare lol!), so don't know whether to wash or not. I expect that I won't.

Marches Farmer · « **Reply #5 on:** March 05, 2015, 07:45:48 pm »

Quote from: Clansman on March 05, 2015, 07:10:05 pm

get some fresh bedding and nesting material down folks!

Yes, please. I find a layer of shavings, a thin layer of clean straw and then more shavings on top can be moulded into a nest chape by the hen but also keeps the eggs clean ... if it's freshened up when necessary!

mojocafa · « **Reply #6 on:** March 05, 2015, 09:17:37 pm »

Trust me, I change duck bedding 2 or 3 times a week, but hey oh eggs still dirty, that's ducks for you!

Stereo · « **Reply #7 on:** March 05, 2015, 09:42:24 pm »

Thanks for the comments, I'll whack them in as they are I think. We always use Equibed chopped straw for nest boxes and broodies. Apparently has tea tree in it which wards off mite. A bale goes a very long way as well.

chrismahon · « **Reply #8 on:** March 06, 2015, 05:44:43 am »

We were set mucky eggs for hatching and most died from bacterial infection. Since then we have soaked all our hatching eggs in a proprietary egg sanitiser solution, the same stuff is used for cleaning the incubator before starting. As said Brinsea do one, but the one we have thus far used is Chicktec. The solution must be warmer than the egg.

When you see mucky eggs it makes you wonder how terrible the conditions are the chickens are kept in. Under those conditions how can they possibly be producing best quality hatching eggs?

Clarebelle · « **Reply #9 on:** March 06, 2015, 07:00:10 am »

I tend not to wash incubator eggs but then all the hatching eggs I have bought have been from here and were all lovely looking! I usually put some of the brinsea disinfectant in one trough and top up with water so that it gets circulated through the incubator throughout the hatch.