Dirty Shipped Eggs What Should I do?

[Gwyllion]

I bought 2 dozen eggs from a BYCer, 1 dozen BCMs and 1 dozen frizzled cochins, at a heavy discount due to the fact that the eggs were older than she usually shipped. I got the eggs this morning and the cochins are fine but the BCMs are filthy. I personally have never seen eggs this dirty before. The eggs look muddy and even have feathers and wood shavings stuck to them... Here is a pic:

I feel bad complaining or asking for a refund when I purchased them at a discount to begin with, but I'm not sure how to proceed. I want to try to hatch them out (I've been trying to hatch out some marans for a while now). Should I set them dirty and risk contaminating the other eggs? Should I clean them with warm water? Just try to brush the dirt off? Try to sand or file off the dirt? Thanks so much for your help!
-Jennifer

 

[Tat2d]

brush them off with paper towel and throw them in the bator

 

[AyeUpChuck]

I'm a novice at the hatching and still learning about all the semantics of the whole process. I don't think they necessarily need to be cleaned. They wouldn't be if they were under the hen, right? I dunno. Maybe I'm totally off-base. From what I've been told though is if you wash them you destroy some of the protective coating on the exterior of the egg. Guess we'll have to see what the pros say!

 

[ChooksChick]

Quote:
I send eggs like that- if I can't get it off gently with a fingernail, it stays. There is a huge controversy regarding whether a seller should wash them, and I'm strongly in the camp that says if the buyer wants to wash them, great, but otherwise, they are fine to hatch with crud on them.

It's really not a big deal, and those eggs look great! Actually, I only wash dark Marans eggs like that when I receive them, because I sand mine a bit (there is info on my old auctions) prior to incubation...but if those were any other color, I'd cook them just like that and not worry about it.

Hens incubate eggs that look much worse, trust me. If you wash, you risk bacteria getting in more than if you leave the bloom intact with the gunk on the outside.

Of course, that's my opinion, and about 50% of folks will disagree.

 

[cashdl]

Take a dry sponge scrubber and scrub off the dirt clods then put them in the incubator. They should be fine.

Lanae

 

[Ceinwyn]

I've seen much much worse.
I'd try to dry wipe them and perhaps use a bit of sand paper to lightly rub them clean.
If you feel you have to wash them, make sure the eggs are cool and the water is at least 105 degrees and then wipe them dry immediately.
Anytime you use water you risk forcing any bacteria into the egg defeating the point of cleaning them.
I received a shipment of ebay goose eggs that were disgusting, covered with mud and poop that rotted within a week of putting them in the incubator.
Yours look spotless in comparison.
Good luck with your hatch, the eggs are a beautiful shade of chocolate.

 

[ChooksChick]

Actually, I'm very impressed with the color at this point in the season...who'd you get them from? I want some!!

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I would soak them in hot dish water till they wiped clean by hand then rinse them under more hot water. I usually do that with all my eggs.

 

[yinepu]

I have seen some hens set on some really filthy eggs.. and they hatched fine.. all i would do is wipe those down with a paper towel or scrape off anything with a fingernail if it looked like it would come off easily.. then just put them in to cook.

 

[Mrs. Cannon]

I personally would wipe it off with a dry sponge and get what I could off and still incubate them. Hens usually will sit on dirtier eggs.

Now this Is just my oppinion, but I Do not send eggs that are dirty. Yes they may have a woodchip or feather stuck to them, but mud ot poo or whatever else like that a chicken gets on it I will not send. Maybe because they were older eggs at a discounted price it was a little more ok. But I personally wouldn't send them. Not trying to offend anyone who would send them, because I'm sure they'd still have a good chance at hatching, but if someone pays for the eggs I want them to get the best I can give

I would just candle them when you'd normally candle your eggs and ones that aren't growing get rid of

I hope you have a good hatch!