Can you rinse chicken eggs or lightly rub them under water prior to incubating?

[basssnake]

The reason I ask this is because the eggs i want to hatch are coming from a flock that may have scaly leg mites and I don't want the hatching chicks to get them. If possible, I would rather be over cautious than not if I can rinse them and lightly rub them to rinse away any possible mites.

 

[1muttsfan]

Mites should not survive on hatching eggs. Scroll down in this guide for information about handling hatching eggs -

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...hatching-chicken-eggs-aka-hatching-101.64195/

 

[Aapomp831]

The reason I ask this is because the eggs i want to hatch are coming from a flock that may have scaly leg mites and I don't want the hatching chicks to get them. If possible, I would rather be over cautious than not if I can rinse them and lightly rub them to rinse away any possible mites.

Mites need chicken blood to survive. They would not survive in the incubator for 21 days without food. I would not rinse them - you could remove the protective bloom meant to keep out bacteria.