The 8th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!!!!

[brucifer]

Great news! My test hatch is over! This was what I woke up to this morning.


4! All 4 eggs hatched! These were all laid the day before and day of being set. I'm surprised to get not only 100% fertility but also 100% hatch. I didn't think one of them would hatch. To make things even better, one of them has a beard, so I know who its dad is.

WTGO!

 

[Beer can]

I have washed lots of eggs and it does not hurt them. Why would it? It removes bacteria if an egg is very dirty and hatch rates were the same between washed and washed eggs.

Eggs with a lot of poo on them should be washed as well as eggs with yolk on them from bad packing and shipping.

Washing with bleach can stop some illnesses that are spread external to the egg. It will not help with illness that is spread from the inside of the egg though. You really have to be careful with stuff like that.

I've heard the same from others.
I'd prefer to have clean eggs unwashed and leave the protective bloom alone but the weather has just been crap here, mostly somewhat dirty eggs. I've been debating cleaning or setting dirty. I know hens hatch dirty eggs but they don't keep them in a closed incubator.
And heck, you and others have hatched store bought eggs, imagine the wash job they get Lol!

Now, when do you clean them? If collecting for a couple weeks? Immediately or wait till time to set? My thought was leave them alone cause the bloom will protect them from bacteria, and then clean them before setting. Thoughts?

 

[ronott1]

I've heard the same from others.
I'd prefer to have clean eggs unwashed and leave the protective bloom alone but the weather has just been crap here, mostly somewhat dirty eggs. I've been debating cleaning or setting dirty. I know hens hatch dirty eggs but they don't keep them in a closed incubator.
And heck, you and others have hatched store bought eggs, imagine the wash job they get Lol!

Now, when do you clean them? If collecting for a couple weeks? Immediately or wait till time to set? My thought was leave them alone cause the bloom will protect them from bacteria, and then clean them before setting. Thoughts?

Bloom is not that easy to was off. I use a weak bleach solution at about 80F. The eggs I washed were from an egg farmer I used to hatch for. I hatched 80 or so eggs every two weeks for him. The eggs were often very dirty too.

I washed them and then set them right away because there is a hatch penalty for age of eggs.

Yes, last EHAL I hatched Trader Joes and Whole foods fertile eggs. They were very very clean too. I set 42 and hatched 37 of them.

I wash the dirty eggs only.

 

[YokelsLocal]

Except not all parks do welcome ducks dumped off... nor are there always people to feed every unwanted duck... just ask Florida residents how they feel about Muscovies... they've become a hugely overpopulated nuisance...

Nevermind, I'm way too frustrated to continue this... my point was just to ask people to be careful with words... we don't all live in the same place, same resources nor same views...

Have a good day...

http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/waterfowl/nuisance/nuisance-muscovies/

Yeh, theyr'e a HUGE problem

 

[ChickAsThieves]

Yes, last EHAL I hatched Trader Joes and Whole foods fertile eggs. They were very very clean too. I set 42 and hatched 37 of them.

That's so interesting! I would assume that between rough handling, refrigeration, and time the fertility would be destroyed in store bought eggs!

 

[casportpony]

.

 

[TJChickens]

Can experienced hatchers pretty please weigh in on whether or not you wash your eggs before setting? I've seen so much conflicting information and I don't know what to do! 

Thank you! 

If they are clean, it's better to not mess with them. If they have just a bit of mud or sand or hay on them, I brush it off. If they are really grungy, and important to me, I wash them quickly and gently with hot water. Hot is supposed to leach bacteria out and cold makes it absorb in. If they have just a little poop on them, I spray them with tektrol and wipe it off. You don't want bacteria in your incubator, but you don't want to disturb the natural coating on the egg anymore than necessary. A friend of mine hatches thousands of quail a week. His method is to put all those eggs in trays and mist them with tektrol. He says it greatly increases his hatch. Especially helps prevent late quitters. But with that many eggs, I can see where bacteria would get out of hand fast.

 

[Cynthia12]

I don't wash. In fact, my DH and I get a chuckle when ever I get an egg with poo on it..that has been shipped. For some odd reason, my poopy eggs are usually one of the first to hatch! What? I am so serious. I will pick up an egg to mark and if it's poopy, I say to my husband..Ooo, a poopy one.

I'm hoping this is the case again for me. I got my eggs today, and some in one the boxes.. were poopy ones. I will not be washing them.
I got both boxes today!

I can set them the same time.

 

[ChickAsThieves]

I don't wash. In fact, my DH and I get a chuckle when ever I get an egg with poo on it..that has been shipped. For some odd reason, my poopy eggs are usually one of the first to hatch! What? I am so serious. I will pick up an egg to mark and if it's poopy, I say to my husband..Ooo, a poopy one.

I'm hoping this is the case again for me. I got my eggs today, and some in one the boxes.. were poopy ones. I will not be washing them.
I got both boxes today!

I can set them the same time.

I'm so torn! I have only set eggs once before. I only set 3 because it was my "test" hatch. I had one early quitter, one failed to pip, and one chick who hatched. The early quitter had a little white poop smear on it, and I sort of assumed that's what caused it to quit. The failure to pip is a mystery to me... it was fully developed and correctly positioned to pip. My humidity and temp were spot on for the entire incubation period, so I can't think of any reason for the early deaths other than contamination in the bator from the poo egg.

 

[Monstro]

Thank you

I used the same one. Did the same thing x's and o's Lol! Wasn't sure if it was moving correctly either. Thought about taking a video and fastfowarding it to see. The eggs roll at different rates due to their size/circumference they don't all roll the same. Watch the arm. Thing moves so darn slow it's hard to tell. I did have a great hatch anyway.
Nice thing about it is you just have to unplug it for lockdown, nothing to remove or disturb and cleans up easily.

Whew! Im not alone. Did you just leave it? Or hand turn them to the other side every 2- 3 days or so? Im hoping, since most are shipped eggs this will be gentler on them and a good thing.