Help! Worms in the Incubator!

[SharkyMustang]

Ok so a few days ago I bought a guys set up for quail. He gave me his Styrofoam incubator full of hatching eggs with all different hatch dates. When he got new eggs he just put them in the incubator. Last night I noticed worms on a few of the eggs. I cleaned them off and cleaned out the incubator the best I could. Threw out about half of the eggs that were going rotten. Today there were more worms. I manged to save a chick that had just hatched and another is pipping. I cleaned the eggs and put them in my incubator. Is there anything else I can do?

 

[Ebony Rose]

Once you get those eggs out, one way or the other, you need to sterilize the incubator. Until you can do that, try to maintain sanitation (as best as you can) so that your partially incubated eggs get the time they need to hatch out (plus a few days for late hatchers). Tractor supply ought to have the chemicals you want for sterilization of your incubator.

 

[PepeDeSilva]

Agreed with what tycine said, the only thing I'll add is if it is a Styrofoam incubator be very careful with what chemicals you use. Polystyrene is soluble in many organic solvents and you could make a huge mess.
Anything water based will be safe, there are no-rinse sterilizing powders sold for cleaning beer and cheese equipment that should be effective and definitely wont harm the incubator.

 

[Kiki]

Can you take a few pictures of these worms?

 

[SharkyMustang]

Can you take a few pictures of these worms?

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I hope you didn't pay too much for your incubator. It looks pretty dirty and those are maggots.

 

[SharkyMustang]

I hope you didn't pay too much for your incubator. It looks pretty dirty and those are maggots.

This isnt my incubator. Its the one that came with the quail I got. I dont think he ever cleaned it. The eggs are safe in my incubator.

 

[Kiki]

View attachment 1833903 View attachment 1833907

Maggots.


The water or whatever...that brownness... Is this clean?

 

[Kiki]

This isnt my incubator. Its the one that came with the quail I got. I dont think he ever cleaned it. The eggs are safe in my incubator.

What!? Throw this thing away or clean it immediately.

 

[Kiki]

I'd throw it away.