Confusing Egg

[Willowhisp]

An egg I'm incubating smells like death. The egg does have a crack in it. The embryo seems fine and it doesn't have any dark spots. The yolk moves around as normal and nothing is off aside from the smell and crack.

 

[ladybrasa]

Does the embryo actually look alive? Are you able to post a pic? To my knowledge any smells like death are rotten eggs, especially if there’s a crack!

 

[Willowhisp]

Does the embryo actually look alive? Are you able to post a pic? To my knowledge any smells like death are rotten eggs, especially if there’s a crack!

I can't post a pic as I candle with my phone but uest the embryo looks alive. That's why I'm confused lol

 

[SpicyDill]

How far along is it? Are you clearly seeing veins?

 

[ladybrasa]

Are you sure the smell is coming from the egg? If you are sure the embryo is still alive, maybe somehow partition it off from the others in the incubator, like “wall” it off. So if it explodes it won’t get on the other eggs, just in case? I’d hate to say toss it if there’s a chance at life still (chick life, not bacterial life!). Also, have you sealed the crack? How bad is it? I’ve read you can use wax, preferably beeswax.

 

[Willowhisp]

Sorry, my phone died, I haven't sealed the crack yet and it does look like the embryo is alive. It isn't very far along and it is the only egg right now

 

[ladybrasa]

I guess if it were me I’d seal the crack and cross fingers, keeping in mind if it gets rotten it might explode and will be messy. Also if it hatches, have a plan for a chick friend, as chicks do best with other chicks.

The only other thing I can think of is if there is a lot of dirt or maybe poo on the shell? That might be what’s smelling and not the egg itself?

 

[Aapomp831]

I guess if it were me I’d seal the crack and cross fingers, keeping in mind if it gets rotten it might explode and will be messy. Also if it hatches, have a plan for a chick friend, as chicks do best with other chicks.

The only other thing I can think of is if there is a lot of dirt or maybe poo on the shell? That might be what’s smelling and not the egg itself?

It’s definitely not coming from the shell, and if it were that dirty to stink then that egg never should have been incubated. But we keep dirty eggs on the counter separate from the clean ones to feed to our dogs (or ourselves, lol... we just don’t like to sell the dirty ones) and I have never detected an odor. Could you possibly have someone else take the pic while you candle the egg? I’m also incubating right now and am very curious to see what this issue is.

 

[ladybrasa]

But if you’re putting some poo in a nice warm humid incubator ... idk.

 

[Willowhisp]

It’s definitely not coming from the shell, and if it were that dirty to stink then that egg never should have been incubated. But we keep dirty eggs on the counter separate from the clean ones to feed to our dogs (or ourselves, lol... we just don’t like to sell the dirty ones) and I have never detected an odor. Could you possibly have someone else take the pic while you candle the egg? I’m also incubating right now and am very curious to see what this issue is.

The egg is clean. I can't do that as I live on my own at the moment, also.. the egg isn't a chicken egg but it has the same needs except for as a chick