Egg Explosion

[katharinad]

It can happen anytime and there is really no time limit. It really depends on the bacteria building up and creating gas. The gas is what usually keeps the air sack from getting larger. Very often the inner membrane blows first and you don't even see an air sack. That is when they are really close to blowing up. The thing is the longer the infertile eggs or bad ones incubate the more like it is that they will blow. That is why I give a week (in ducks), 5 days in chicken eggs if in question but not more. It is better to loose a questionable egg then have it blow up. Here is a good link with pictures for candling. http://www.brinsea.com/pdffiles/what is egg candling.pdf
You have to prorate the dates a little for duck eggs. Add 2 days for duck eggs for every 5 days in chicken eggs.
I use a high lumen, 115 I think, LED flashlight from Walmart found in the camping section.
Katharina

 

[Sequin]

Ok, First - I am really sorry you had to experience this nasty business of exploding eggs. It IS gross and the smell is horrific!!!

However, I am ROFLOL - because it reminds me of my own exploding egg episode. Thankfully I had the sense to check the eggs outside(they were from under my broody hen). First egg, I made a tiny hole and could see the dead chick inside - fully formed but no longer alive. I put it in a heavy duty freezer bag. I started my scrapings on the second chick, and as I am nearing break through - POP! Yes I was standing with my face near it, and I am still thankful nothing got on my face or in my hair.

The rest of the suspect eggs I put in the ziploc bag and gave them a light tap with my knife - they all popped. NASTY!!! I zipped them up and tossed them immediately. Not something I am ever looking forward to doing again.

p.s. I thought I would never eat eggs again too, but I am once again eating them and they are just fine.

You'll get back to them eventually.

 

[KristaChickenWhisperer]

I had my face up close and personal with an egg when it went too haha only I wasn't as lucky. I got a bit of splatter on my face, but most of it went all over my favorite shirt (lesson learned...wear old clothes next time....). I kind of stood there stunned and grossed out while my dad chuckled and said "Eww...ick!!"


I had forgotten about it until about two days later my boyfriend and I had made a breakfast dinner. As I took a bite of my scrambled eggs I remembered the incident...haha it didn't take me long to shovel all my eggs onto my boyfriend's plate.

 

[ISSOLA]

Quote:
Thanks Katharinad.

I am concerned about this "egg explosion issue," and on day 11-12 (yesterday), found one egg that had an irregular air sac. The other eggs had nice air sac. One that didn't have any air sac got tossed, and it was infertile.

To be one the careful side, i removed the irregular air sac egg. When I cracked it (in the sink - ready for stink), I found that it was a viable egg. The heart beating. I stared and stared at it - quite sick to my stomach, that I had hurt this perfect creature. BTW - my eggs are hard to candle since they are DARK eggs.

On day 11-12, the separate infertile egg that was removed had no smell externally. When can one expect to smell the "smell" before egg explosion?

 

[ranchhand]

If you are hand turning the eggs, I highly recommend a daily sniff test. If using a turner, get right down in the incubator and sniff around daily. Also watch very carefully for ANY sign of weeping, or fluid oozing through the shell.

I had one in my last run, it was weeping a bit - I stuck my hand in a small baggie and gently removed it. I did make the mistake of sniffing it before I very carefully closed the bag and disposed of it.

 

[ISSOLA]

Quote:
Sniff daily and look for weeping egs. very good info. Thanks!

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Sniff daily and look for weeping egs. very good info. Thanks!

Don't forget the baggie as a glove!

 

[Mrs. Feathers]

I am sorry this happened to you...it is certainly right up there with the very grossest of odors. Two hatches ago I set a batch of eggs in my office at school thinking it would be a great experience for the kids to see. Ewwwww......yuck....I left a very pretty blue egg that was hard to see on candelling and that I questioned. Never again. Just as the eggs were in lockdown and pipping guess what blew! I am so fortunate to have a kind office staff because it stank! I too thought I would never eat an egg again....would never laugh about it....but now...it is pretty darn funny. When you are ready for a laugh post again and I`ll share one with you...but for now

 

[mlove]

Yikes, I had no idea an exploding egg would smell that bad. Now I'm wishing that I would have smelled my final eggs before putting them in lockdown. There were 2-3 eggs that I'm not sure were good. Now I'm thinking please, please, please don't explode.

 

[mediazeal]

I have had a couple of weeping eggs and removed them before they exploded. I was just lucky they didn't explode in the incubator. I incubate in egg cartons by the way.

I was completely freaked out about picking them up. I was afraid they would pop at close range and indoors. Rather than move them, I put all the rest of the eggs into a different egg carton and just lifted out the carton they were sitting in to incubate.
That went immediately into a plastic bag carton and all (double bagged by the way) and out to the trash. I was careful not to go near the trash til it was picked up.

Bad eggs do give off gas before they start to weep and finally explode. Exploding is the last phase of total ick. You usually have a day or two if you are sniffing the incubator air for something bad. It is hard to miss. Weeping eggs are BAD and should go immediately. Also hard to miss.
No need to candle for this. It is a smell thing.
I've tossed many dark eggs that could not be candled but were definately smelly or weeping.

Sorry for your kitchen. Maybe it's time to gut it and remodel??

Ok, that was a joke. The smell will pass.