Eggs Exploding?

[FaithAnn]

I have seen several comments regarding eggs exploding in an incubator (or under a hen). When do you have to worry about that? How long can an egg stay in an incubator after it dies before it will explode? I don't want to risk losing a chick because I didn't know what I was looking at when I candled the egg, but I don't want to deal with an egg exploding either.

 

[Hidden Blessings Farm]

I had a serious exploding egg problem for a while but I think with help from BYCers that the eggs that exploded were ones that set out too long before going into the incubator. The ones I had exploding were ones I got from other people that i think were old eggs. I havent had a single egg explode that I collected and set from my hens.

 

[SPRING CREEK FARM]

Also, if you notice one that has a bad smell, you'd better get that stinker out of the bator because it is subject to blow!

 

[zowieyellowflame]

I had one bad egg that was oozing.... actually, you could smell it when you got close to the broody, there was yellow seeping out (yoke i guess) and when broody stood it was stuck to her. I was so scared to toss it because I had myself convinced that every egg would be a chick..... but I did it. I was lucky to have warning. This egg was not more than 21 days from being laid. It must have had fractures.