Any tips on how to safely clean a dirty egg?

[ColoredFeathers]

I know that the bloom on a egg helps keep it safe from anything getting inside of it. But I have also learn that putting a dirty egg into a incubator isn't a good idea. I my first try and hatching eggs went really wrong because the dirty eggs got wet and started to sit in dirty water a tiny bit. I don't ever want that to happen again. So I am wondering if there is a safe way to clean eggs? Do you just rinse them off? Or should you take it more carefully? I probably sound really silly for asking these things. I just don't want to do anything wrong with the eggs I am going to try and hatch.
If you can help, thank you so much.

 

[subhanalah]

The best way to avoid that problem is to keep the hatching eggs out of water.

Here is a personal anecdote regarding dirty/poopy eggs and incubation.
The eggs that I rubbed vigorously to remove poop became STINKY in the incubator. The egg with the most dried on poop was the first to hatch out of that batch.
Don't clean your eggs, just flick off the chunks.

Don't feel silly for asking, we all have questions based on our personal perceptions. Each of us sees things differently and some of us think of things more deeply. That's why we have BYC

Eta: even pristine eggs that sit in water will likely not hatch.

 

[ColoredFeathers]

The best way to avoid that problem is to keep the hatching eggs out of water.

Here is a personal anecdote regarding dirty/poopy eggs and incubation.
The eggs that I rubbed vigorously to remove poop became STINKY in the incubator. The egg with the most dried on poop was the first to hatch out of that batch.
Don't clean your eggs, just flick off the chunks.

Don't feel silly for asking, we all have questions based on our personal perceptions. Each of us sees things differently and some of us think of things more deeply. That's why we have BYC

Eta: even pristine eggs that sit in water will likely not hatch.

Okay. I was going to make sure of that this time. Thank you.

Wow, I never would have thought that would happen. Thank you for telling me about what you have found. I will keep that in mind.

That is true. Sometimes it does feel funny asking some questions though. I don't know what I would do if I hadn't found BYC. It has helped me out so much.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my question. It really helped me.

 

[subhanalah]

Okay. I was going to make sure of that this time. Thank you.

Wow, I never would have thought that would happen. Thank you for telling me about what you have found. I will keep that in mind.

That is true. Sometimes it does feel funny asking some questions though. I don't know what I would do if I hadn't found BYC. It has helped me out so much.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to my question. It really helped me.

any time

 

[ChickenLegs13]

If an egg is super filthy, I simply don't put it in the incubator. If it has some poo on it I wipe it off with my finger and all is well. And "they say" always wash your hands before touching your hatching eggs. lol

This past winter I had my quail in a ground pen and it was rainy when they started laying this spring and the first eggs they laid got trampled down into an inch of muddy, stinking poopy slop before I moved them back to their summer cages. Some eggs were like a mud ball cause the mud had dried on them and I had to scrub them with a fingernail brush to get them clean. I had to scrub a few so hard that it removed the black & brown and left the egg pure white. Some of them a simple rinse was all it took to get the wet poo mud off.
I didn't figure they'd hatch but I had plenty of room in the letric hen so I set them anyway. Much to my surprise the scrubbed ones & the rinsed ones hatched just as well as the unwashed ones.

But I don't wash hatching eggs. I think the bloom is more of a lubricate to help the hen pass the egg than it is a protective feature but Nature put it there so I leave it there. It *might* not hurt to wash them but I'm pretty sure it doesn't help my hatch rate either.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Everyone has their own methods that work well for them. It may surprise folks that many breeders sanitize their eggs before setting. I did last time and hatched 100%.

Sanitizing your eggs before setting should follow the same guidelines that State law requires table egg producers to follow to sell eggs in their state. Generally, this involves rinsing the egg in a spray of water that is 20 degrees warmer than the egg. Air dry. Some folks give the egg a quick dip in an egg sanitizing solution, rinse and air dry.

Like many things about this hobby, there are many paths from which to choose.

 

[ColoredFeathers]

If an egg is super filthy, I simply don't put it in the incubator. If it has some poo on it I wipe it off with my finger and all is well. And "they say" always wash your hands before touching your hatching eggs. lol

This past winter I had my quail in a ground pen and it was rainy when they started laying this spring and the first eggs they laid got trampled down into an inch of muddy, stinking poopy slop before I moved them back to their summer cages. Some eggs were like a mud ball cause the mud had dried on them and I had to scrub them with a fingernail brush to get them clean. I had to scrub a few so hard that it removed the black & brown and left the egg pure white. Some of them a simple rinse was all it took to get the wet poo mud off.
I didn't figure they'd hatch but I had plenty of room in the letric hen so I set them anyway. Much to my surprise the scrubbed ones & the rinsed ones hatched just as well as the unwashed ones.

But I don't wash hatching eggs. I think the bloom is more of a lubricate to help the hen pass the egg than it is a protective feature but Nature put it there so I leave it there. It *might* not hurt to wash them but I'm pretty sure it doesn't help my hatch rate either.

Well I really need to put all of the eggs in the incubator because I only have five eggs and need to have the best chances of hatching one or two. Haha. I learned to wash my hands before touching the eggs the hard way.... lol

Wow, that I'd amazing but glad they hatched for you! The eggs I am trying to hatch are peafowl eggs and they sat in some damp bedding and dirt for a little while. I don't know if those will hatch or not. I will just have to see and watch them closely. I will just try and rub the dirt off.

Really? I have read that it helps protect the egg but who knows. Like you said, if it is there it must be there for a reason. Thank you for taking the time to reply to me. It helped my understanding and hearing stories helps me learn. Thanks again.

 

[ColoredFeathers]

Everyone has their own methods that work well for them. It may surprise folks that many breeders sanitize their eggs before setting.  I did last time and hatched 100%.  

Sanitizing your eggs before setting should follow the same guidelines that State law requires table egg producers to follow to sell eggs in their state.  Generally, this involves rinsing the egg in a spray of water that is 20 degrees warmer than the egg.  Air dry.  Some folks give the egg a quick dip in an egg sanitizing solution, rinse and air dry.

Like many things about this hobby, there are many paths from which to choose.

Really? I did not know that! Maybe I should look deeper into sanitizing eggs. I want to have the best chances for hatching that I can get.

Oh wow! Thank you! That really helps me! Now I know where to look! I never would have guessed that was the way to go when looking up how to clean eggs. Thank you so much again! This has really helped me!

Yes, haha. I have learned that. But it seems like all hobbies are like that. Haha. So many choices to pick from.

 

[ChickenLegs13]

I can"t speak for Peafowl but I've seen chickens lay eggs in wet nasty places and they laid there for weeks getting more nasty before the hen started sitting and they turned out ok.
Hope they hatch for you.