Can Bacteria Get Into An Egg At Any Time During The Incubation Period?

[tonini3059]

I lost 5 eggs due to bacteria. I candle them and they look fine then two days later they have a lot of bacteria in them. Can it just get in there or has it been in there since the beginning?

 

[skeeter9]

It can get in the eggs at any time. You may have some contamination in your bator or maybe it could be from your hands during candling. I would sterilize the bator with bleach, and take extra care to scrub your hands before and after handling the eggs. It's also possible that it happened before you set them - you may never know.

Good luck with your next batch!!!!

 

[tonini3059]

Thanks. Is there anything I can do to prevent it from getting into the other eggs I have setting in there?? They are not due to hatch for 2 more weeks.

 

[skeeter9]

Well, I suppose you could wrap them in a warm towel while you quickly clean the bator out, but then you pretty much will have to stabilize it again before you put them back in. It might be worth a try, though, since something is obviously getting to them????

 

[jab91864]

If I was worried it was something growing in the bator (they are a breeding ground for bacteria, humidity and heat). I would probably switch them to another bator.
If you don't have one then I would fire up a heating pad and place it under a casserole dish. I would wrap the eggs in a towel and put in the dish then cover with another towel to help trap the heat. You'd have to work fairly quickly and chances are if it's a foam bator the bleaching and rinsing and re-heating will have your humidity all out of whack......

During an extended power outage last winter I did manage to keep eggs alive placing them next to the woodstove and covered to keep the heat in.

Best of luck with the remaining eggs. Makes ya wonder how hens manage to hatch so many in a dirty nest... and if you've had a broody on a nest you know how messy it can get.

Julie

 

[skeeter9]

I know!! It seems like hens can hatch some pretty nasty eggs, but the slightest little thing we do can ruin a hatch! Thank God for broodies!!!

Jab - do you have another bator, or some way to keep the eggs warm while you clean the one they're in?

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

A good thing to put into your water resivour (cant spell today.lol) is brinsea incubation disinfectant, it keeps bacteria from forming.

 

[tonini3059]

I cleaned it and bleached it. I wrapped a warm towel around and had my space heater on so it was about 90 degrees in the room. Everything seems fine with the eggs. I lost another one but it was from bacteria. They eggs that were hatching today are all still alive and half out!! I will have to buy that stuff. Where do you get it at?