Had my first eggsplosion today...!

[HHandbasket]

I have never heard of this before! I'm glad I found this thread. I'm not sure whether to

or

What causes this? An egg that has been sitting there too long? Is it an indication of illness in the hen? I'm still pretty new to chickeneering. Thanks in advance!

 

[SilverPhoenix]

Ewww, what an experience! I had my first exploding egg a month or two ago, and boy was that interesting! I went to remove an egg my broodies had been determinedly sitting on for a while in the heat and POP, exploded! I wasn't still touching it when it did so, thankfully, but it was still a terrible smell! My hens rushed over and were eating the nastiness that came forth from the gross egg, ewwww.

Crazy birds!

 

[InsaneBreeder]

I'm glad your first encounter wasn't too bad

Like you, I didn't think exploding eggs were such a big deal until one blew up two inches from my face when I was trying to open it with a needle to see why it hadn't hatched. Now I sniff everysingle egg every time I candle, because that is never going to happen again.... I hope

 

[Biddylover]

Quote:

I so am NOT eating breakfast now!

gag.... heave..... barf! lol

 

[LaurenM23]

I'm so glad I ate early this morning...

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Yea as long as you toss smelly eggs pretty quick its not an issue but it the times that they smell for a few days before they get found is when they go boom.

 

[huntsman]

Quote:
I'm new myself but what I've gleaned is that it's usually an infertile egg which is long past it's sell-by date....!

Not necessarily indicative of any illness in the mom, it builds up noxious gases that are only too happy to be released on an unsuspecting recipient.

Strangely, the stench has no similarity to an egg smell that you would recognise, but is more of a corpse/drain variety and oh, so nasssty!

 

[SilkiePuff]

ewww. that must have been worse then a skunk..

I hope I can avoid that in the future.. but because i'm laughing i'm sure I will get my own eggplosion sooner then later..

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

It can happen in fresh eggs to an in egg with chicks growing in them too. Any egg in the incubator that starts putting off that smell will probably go boom.