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Chicken eggs smelling bad.

post #1 of 19
12/11/09 at 7:19am
Thread Starter 

Hi everyone

My boyfriend and I bought my dad 4 chickens for his birthday. He owned chickens a long time ago before he moved, but had to get rid of them.

Well, he's decided that he wants to try and hatch some eggs. He has a fish tank with 2 lights to keep them warm, a vent and a bowl of water in there. I'm not sure if what he has is proper incubation, but he thinks they're going to hatch. Some of the eggs were outside in the coop for a few days before he brought them in. He's been incubating them for almost 2 weeks now but my mother and I have noticed that there's a bad smell coming from that room. She cleaned the whole room thinking it was the dogs but the smell is still there, and it gets worse when you're near the incubator.

Are the eggs supposed to smell bad? How can we tell which eggs are good and is what he's doing proper incubation?

Thanks in advance. smile

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post #2 of 19
12/11/09 at 7:22am

Those things can burst, I wouldn't get near them gig 

I bet if there is a bad smell they're all going bad, and I'd removed them as gently as possible. 

Then, right at the top of the page you'll see "Learning center" click on that and read up on hatching.

thumbsup

Everything I say is fully substantiated by my own opinion!
BYC member #4418
http://cherylmercer.blogspot.com/
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Everything I say is fully substantiated by my own opinion!
BYC member #4418
http://cherylmercer.blogspot.com/
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post #3 of 19
12/11/09 at 7:26am

The eggs aren't supposed to smell bad, some are rotten. The eggs will explode in time and then will really stink! Wait.... really stink is an understatement. smile  Just take the eggs one by one and smell them, your nose will tell which are bad. You can also tilt them end for end (gently) and a rotten egg will be sloshy inside.

Steve in NC

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post #4 of 19
12/11/09 at 9:36am

Well, I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but if you read through the bazillions of posts on here, eggs can be pretty darned hard to hatch. Just reading what you said without more info or pics, I don't think those bad boys are going to hatch anytime this century...I'd carry the tank out, toss em and get a regular incubator. Just my .02 worth.

Fine Welsh Cob sporthorses since 1992 with multiple championships; provisional judge for Welsh, member Arabian Horse Assn. Breeding and showing Call ducks. NPIP #1197, APA, ABA, IWBA; National Call Breeders of America Life Member and Master Exhibitor. Illinois Pullorum tester. Some Call duck hatching eggs available. PM for details!

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Fine Welsh Cob sporthorses since 1992 with multiple championships; provisional judge for Welsh, member Arabian Horse Assn. Breeding and showing Call ducks. NPIP #1197, APA, ABA, IWBA; National Call Breeders of America Life Member and Master Exhibitor. Illinois Pullorum tester. Some Call duck hatching eggs available. PM for details!

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post #5 of 19
12/11/09 at 11:16am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by duckluck 

Well, I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but if you read through the bazillions of posts on here, eggs can be pretty darned hard to hatch. Just reading what you said without more info or pics, I don't think those bad boys are going to hatch anytime this century...I'd carry the tank out, toss em and get a regular incubator. Just my .02 worth.


I'm not the one trying to hatch the eggs, so you aren't raining on anyone's parade. I don't think they're going to hatch either. He's just now thinking that the light might be too hot so my mum and I have to figure out a way to convince him to throw them out. He's an old man, so he's stubborn and ignorant lol.

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post #6 of 19
12/11/09 at 11:26am

I think he is a gem.  He needs a way to measure both the temp and humidity where the eggs are. 

Maybe an incubator for Christmas (from the family) would really make his day/year?

Fowl adventures happening daily       

"Poultry- they may be your pets, they may be your hobby, they may be your livestock. But remember, if you fall down in the pen, unconscious? They WILL eat you." ~ Sally/Ranchie - we miss you.
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Fowl adventures happening daily       

"Poultry- they may be your pets, they may be your hobby, they may be your livestock. But remember, if you fall down in the pen, unconscious? They WILL eat you." ~ Sally/Ranchie - we miss you.
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post #7 of 19
12/11/09 at 11:36am

oh yes! an incubator for Christmas is a great idea! This might be a dumb question, but just wanted to be sure, does he have a rooster?

they say I have A.D.D. but they don't understand.....OH look!! a chicken!! 
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they say I have A.D.D. but they don't understand.....OH look!! a chicken!! 
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post #8 of 19
12/11/09 at 11:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by pandakins 

Hi everyone

My boyfriend and I bought my dad 4 chickens for his birthday. He owned chickens a long time ago before he moved, but had to get rid of them.

Well, he's decided that he wants to try and hatch some eggs. He has a fish tank with 2 lights to keep them warm, a vent and a bowl of water in there. I'm not sure if what he has is proper incubation, but he thinks they're going to hatch. Some of the eggs were outside in the coop for a few days before he brought them in. He's been incubating them for almost 2 weeks now but my mother and I have noticed that there's a bad smell coming from that room. She cleaned the whole room thinking it was the dogs but the smell is still there, and it gets worse when you're near the incubator.

Are the eggs supposed to smell bad? How can we tell which eggs are good and is what he's doing proper incubation?

Thanks in advance. smile


Are any of the 4 chickens a rooster?

Sniff carefully at each egg- if it smells funky get it out of there and into the trash- faaaaaar away from the house.

Temperature and humidity are pretty important- I know "back in the old days" people hatched eggs that way, but it was more luck than anything else. Doesn't mean it won't work though- I know someone who hatched an egg in a bowl with a light over it earlier this year.

Has anyone said "Hey this egg stinks, it's dead"? Tell him stinky egg = dead egg.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pandakins 
Quote:
Originally Posted by duckluck 

Well, I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but if you read through the bazillions of posts on here, eggs can be pretty darned hard to hatch. Just reading what you said without more info or pics, I don't think those bad boys are going to hatch anytime this century...I'd carry the tank out, toss em and get a regular incubator. Just my .02 worth.


I'm not the one trying to hatch the eggs, so you aren't raining on anyone's parade. I don't think they're going to hatch either. He's just now thinking that the light might be too hot so my mum and I have to figure out a way to convince him to throw them out. He's an old man, so he's stubborn and ignorant lol.


Stick a thermometer in there.

And OLD does NOT equal ignorant!

Don't get all your exercise leaping to conclusions!

Poultry- they may be your pets, they may be your hobby, they may be your livestock. But remember, if you fall down in the pen, unconscious? They WILL eat you.
Chicken Tender of 20 years
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Don't get all your exercise leaping to conclusions!

Poultry- they may be your pets, they may be your hobby, they may be your livestock. But remember, if you fall down in the pen, unconscious? They WILL eat you.
Chicken Tender of 20 years
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post #9 of 19
12/11/09 at 1:01pm
Thread Starter 

Yes, he has 1 rooster and 3 hens now. An incubator for Christmas is a great idea! I'll have to do my own research and make sure we get a good one. smile Could somebody give me a ballpark price on a small incubator?

He looked at 2 eggs today and threw them out... I think he's attached to them. I don't think any of the eggs are good. I should convince him to throw the eggs out, clean out the tank and then we can get another batch of eggs from his hen after Christmas when he gets his incubator.

I totally did not mean any disrespect with my comment about him being stubborn. smile I definitely get my own stubbornness from him!

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post #10 of 19
12/11/09 at 1:21pm

Meyers Hatchery has a great deal on incubators. 125.00 with fan and turner (I paid 121.00 w/o turner). Heres the link  http://www.meyerhatchery.com/

 

 

  

 

 

NPIP 31-538   http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/micheles-swap

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NPIP 31-538   http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/micheles-swap

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BackYard Chickens › BYC Forum › Raising BackYard Chickens › Incubating & Hatching Eggs › Chicken eggs smelling bad.