We were given a dozen quail eggs from a friend that shipped them to us. 5 of the eggs cracked in transit. A couple of the remaining eggs have egg white on them. Do I need to clean the white off? Should I use sand paper for this or something else? Can I put them in as is in the bator? Thanks in advance, KEN
While there is a protective coating (bloom) on the eggs, I disagree with the notion eggs shouldn't be cleaned at all. If the eggs are covered in sticky egg whites, wiping off the goo is not going to hurt them. Just dampen a washcloth with warm water and lightly wipe the yolk away. If the egg white has already dried, you can genty sand it with sandpaper to help get it off, just don't go crazy. If the egg whites and yolks cover a good egg and then dry, wouldn't that seal shut the porous surface of the good egg, making it impossible for oxygen to pass through to the developing embryo? If you plan to set the eggs within the next 24 hours in a clean incubator, the likelihood of potentially damaging germs getting into the eggs is low and you're probably better off cleaning the eggs a bit. What you wouldn't want to do would be to wash the eggs and then store them for many days before setting. Everything within reason, as they say.
