Does anyone sanitize/dip hatching eggs before incubating??

[Three Cedars Silkies]

I decided that my last two hatched were very sub-par in spite of my diligent bleaching and scrubbing of my bator, tools, etc....

I've been doing some research on sanitizing eggs prior to hatching and the research certainly does prove a decrease in chick mortality when the eggs are sanitized prior to hatching. Not scrubbed...just dipped.

I settled on hydrogen peroxide as it was one that tested well in the research and it's easy to get! I just received my tufted/rumpless eggs from Gary and decided to use these as my test eggs. With the tufted/rumpless issues you usually only get about 75% hatchability...plus my eggs are shipped, so drop that by about 40%. I dipped all of them for 1 minutes in warm (warmer than the eggs) hydrogen peroxide and layed them out to dry for a few minutes. Now they are safely tucked away in the incubator.

I'll keep you posted on how the hatch percentage is coming along. I've also put a box of disposable latex gloves by the bator and I use one if I need to touch the eggs. I'm just not taking anymore chances. I am convinced that bacteria is the cause of my hatch rate dropping because nothing has changed.

Anyone else dip their eggs??

ETA: picture...how could I forget?? Some great looking eggs!! Thanks, Gary...

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[keljonma]

KJ Theodore of Shagbark Bantams wrote about using Oxine AH as an egg dip before incubation
http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/oxine.htm

 

[Penny Hen]

I am going to use a vinegar and water dip. I have used it before and had zero green gooey eggs even though I dipped in cool water. (1 Tbs 5% solution [standard grocery store vinegar] to 1 quart water) Tonight I am setting quail eggs and will dip half and not dip the other half and see what happens. I will have the water heated this time.

I am using vinegar after reading about using a Vitamin C dip experiment by one of the Universities (Cornell I think). Vinegar and Vitamin C are close in their chemical structure and acidity level and more easily available. I have already seen a huge difference in not getting any green gooey eggs when using it but I have not held a controlled experiment between using it and not using it. I would love to have the luxury of two separate identical incubators but since I only have the one it will have to do.
I am off to set my eggs now.

 

[FrankHomestead]

Update?

 

[Somshine]

I do this. First of all I start with pretty clean eggs. I wash my hands. Put a soft towel down then cover it with paper towels. I fill a little cup, with room for my fingers so I can hold the egg well, with 3% peroxide and one by one submerge each egg for a few seconds then place on paper towels to dry before placing in the incubator. Day 7 100%. Day 14 100% (1 in question). Bator air smells very sanitary. Tomorrow is lockdown.

 

[Somshine]

Wondering if you ended up with 100% hatch rate? I'm having difficulty with some eggs actually hatching. I get about 20%-30% hatch rate.

My friend just gave me about 30 eggs, but they're all pretty dirty. I'm looking for ways to clean them before setting them.
TIA

first batch I did I did not do this. Second batch I started doing it. Hatch rate was better on the second one

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Anyone else know anything about doing this...or do it yourself regularly??

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I use Brinsea incubation disinfectant. I dip eggs that I receive from people. I just dip them and set them on a towel to dry off. I dont dip my eggs, because I know where they came from. lol.

I also use the brisnea incubation disinfectant to clean out my incubators after.

 

[klf73]

I am very interested in how this goes. The only thing I would have done differently(seriously only meaning me, not inferring anything was done wrong

) was to not dip a certain percentage and put them in a different bator that was cleaned the exact same way as the "experimental" eggs just so there was some sort of control or comparison. I will be waiting for your day 7-10 candling report

Good luck
Krista

 

[Shared Acres]

This is my first time putting eggs in a bator, so I have no clue!

Can you wash eggs?