Clean duck eggs.. is there such a thing??

[Louise's Country Closet]

I'm wanting to start selling some fertile duck eggs but I can't keep the suckers clean! Even if I change out their straw at night and let them outside, they still manage to poop and get mud on them. Is there any way I can clean them? I hatched out a ton of ducks last year that were ten times more filthy but I really hate the idea of selling dirty eggs to someone if I can clean them somehow. Any suggestions?

 

[gmendoza]

I just wipe em clean as I can.Most of my customers know that I do sell "natural" eggs.They dont mind cleaning them. Others are to prissy,and want clean eggs. Whatever floats yer boat.

To wipe off duck mud or not? that is the question.

 

[Kerath]

Any eggs that I am giving away or selling get scrubbed with just a bit of dishwashing liquid and rinsed in cool water. No way I'm giving out crap-covered eggs!

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

Fertile for eating is different than fertile for hatching. For hatching, take a dry scrubby, and scrub the poo off.. once it's dry. For eating, warm water a touch of dishsoap and a sponge.

 

[gofasterstripe]

I had 14 eggs today and only 1 had a bit of poop on it. I use shavings in my nests and on the duck house floor and clean out the dirty bits every day. The nests all get cleaned out and emptied once a month. Ive never used hay or straw in my duck house so I dont know if its holding the poop more than the shavings.

 

[wpalmisano]

Wow. Well, the mallards seem to drop eggs all over the place and I have to check often. As long as they are dry you can run a fine grit sand paper VERY LIGHTLY over the eggs. Washing them is supposed to be bad for them as the eggs can absorb the water. This is only what I've read online. As a general rule, if the egg is really filthy, I'll just hatch it myself to test fertility. If the egg is clean and well formed, I can sell it. What I do is keep a small coop inside the pen with deep straw in the attic. In each corner the ducks dig a little pit and lay. Those eggs seem to be perfect with an excellent fertility rate.

 

[Louise's Country Closet]

Thanks! I like the sandpaper idea and the deep straw, I'm going to try both!

I should have been more clear when I said these were for hatching though, my bad LOL. I wouldn't sell dirty eggs for eating, those get washed so they're sparkly for the customers

Not that many people buy them, we eat most of ours. I dunno what the difference is between chicken and duck eggs though

they all taste the same to me!

 

[Smiles-N-Sunshine]

I haven't tried setting duck eggs yet, but for the other poultry I've had success by washing the eggs quickly and gently in *warm* water (no soap) when collected. The water should be warmer than the egg, or surface germs can be drawn into the egg.

Then, when ready to set, I rinse again and squirt with Tek-Trol disinfectant. May seem like overkill, but with my hard-to-clean Hova Bator incubator, I try to err on the side of caution to avoid a rotten-egg-splosion!

 

[hippiehen]

All my ducks lay smudgy, dirty eggs except Juliet, my mallard. But her eggs are periwinkle blue and I like to think she's just veeerrryy proud of them!

And what is it about people and duck eggs? I so don't understand it! They are amazing for baking and make the BEST omelets!!

 

[gofasterstripe]

Quote:
I love my duck eggs scrambled...so do my dogs