Egg fumigation

[underground chickenman]

Do any of you fumigate your eggs before setting? Is it necessary? Does it help? What do you use and where do you buy it?

Thanks,

UGCM

 

[monarc23]

fumigate your own eggs? I think that's kinda silly

Now, if you're meaning to fumigate eggs from someone else...i do soemtimes if they are dirty.

I spritz them with a hydrogen peroxide/water in a spray bottle just a mist then i pat them dry (not wipe because you can wipe off the bloom of the egg which can introduce bacteria into the egg). Otherwise they go in as is. If you're worried about illnesses that may have been brought with the eggs from the breeders birds, that's sort of irrelivant as cleaning the shell will not kill the illness the chick would hatch with the illness in that case

I'm more focused on keeping my incubator clean... I sweep out egg shells constantly, and spritz it with the peroxide/water mixture just as often

 

[DLS]

I disenfect the incubator but not the eggs

 

[Sampath Guruge]

An old thread , but not answered the matter! , I like to say what I do ... I have DIY 1000 egg 3 cabinets every 2 months I disinfect all ... first physical cleaning with detergent with water then flair from blow lamp run all the parts , let neutral and insert eggs .. now the thread answer ... yes fumigate any eggs ... 120ml Formalin + potacium permanganate (condis) in a metal bawl ,sealed the incubator temp .. 30C humid .. 80% for 20 minutes and after 20min I use a vacuum cleaner to suck out all the gas in side , WARNING... so much hazardous to you ! Be careful! Then my normal running conditions apply to the incubator . I only fail unfertile eggs and no in the mid dead ones , when you done this method you can minimise dead in cells and the chicks also very healthy because at the start you will destroy all the 99.9% harmful things on the egg and the incubator too!

 

[Binki]

There's this simple hatch method Facebook group where they swear by using mouthwash on the eggs before setting them, not sure of the details but I bet it's on Google

 

[Sampath Guruge]

I will test it !

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

I just started reading up on this, and it is not silly. It is indusrty standard to disinfect eggs prior to setting them, the standard policy is to use fumigation using formaldehyde. I am interested in understanding this so I can comparison the essential oil spray study I just read to the industry standard of fumigation and also look at alternative fumigation substances.

What I have learned so far:

Is the sooner your eggs are treated the better by any method, it is best to treat eggs while still warm from laying as it only takes minutes for microbes to penetrate the shell.
Fumigation can not reach those organism without damaging the egg... you would have to fumigate too long.

You got to be careful with the industry standard of using formaldehyde as it is toxic, noxious smelling, an eye and nose irritant also carcinogenic. You can damage your hatchability instead of increasing it with improper fumigation as well.

Things that effect formaldehyde fumigation.
Strength of concentration used, size of box used, temperature of egg, humidity (water decreases formaldehyde's ability to kill microbes), length of exposure (too long or not long enough), resting ventilation period suggested before setting should be done, any organic matter on eggs decrease the effectiveness (blood, soil, food, feces, feather), age of egg... and it seems this is not easy stuff to find for backyard folks.

However I am researching it so I understand how to compare to other options, it is also giving me insight into practices that increase not just hatchability but general health of chick that are used in conjunction to the disinfectant.

Right now I think the use of 1% essential oil (thyme, oregano, or cinnamon) spritzed on the egg and allowed to air dry 30 minutes is best backyard option... based on a quail egg study, but I am still sorting through fumigation info so I can not yet compare raw data for quail to be able then compare to chicken fumigation data. I have not found the quail info on fumigation yet, but have found stuff for chickens.

I did learn from the fumigation chicken stuff I read so far untreated eggs can have as high as a 20% mortality rate becuase of organic microbes (bacteria, fungi, coliforms, molds can all kill eggs that could have hatched).

I was surprised by poor chick health that do hatch also being linked to microbes that got into the egg prior to incubation.

So I have concluded that any hygiene improving technique or practice we can translate into a workable small scale for us backyard folks is good.

This is the First fumigation paper I have read so far, lots of info, with good references.

https://www.european-poultry-scienc...-a-review,QUlEPTQyMTkwMTImTUlEPTE2MTAxNA.html

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Just found this study for chickens... bingo on it being large including fumigation and natural sprays... seems we got some great options the 1% solution I mentioned is for Thymol but it seems this study uses higher % for essential oil. Anyway scroll down to bottom for the raw data to comparison substances and methods.

http://www.epsaegypt.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/13-1489.pdf

 

[Binki]

Thanks for sharing your research !! I like the natural disinfectant option better than the mouthwash one and definitely don't want to do heavier chemicals!

I haven't in the past, only incubated a few times last year but might try naturally fumigating the next time I do it

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

I am wondering if we could fumigate using white sage or eucalyptus leaves... maybe even stone pine cones or tobacco... I know sounds weird but all those plants volitile oils can kill microbes. I not sure though how much good research there is on the plants or how to set up a fumigation box using smoldering herbs but it's a thought.

I am going to try the sprays next... I also found research using hydrogen peroxide and that looks promising too as a spray, not all natural... but I had kids do guess what I got bottles of under the sink.

I am a big believer in having a big tool box of more than one way to do something as you always have options no matter what is available in ones area or not available.