How do you keep eggs clean before you collect them from your duck?

[Du Vey]

My 6 Quackers are very messy, and one of the 2 females has started laying an egg a day. But when I collect the egg, it’s covered in poop, straw and feathers. I wanted to try to hatch some of them, so I know you can’t give them a good old wash in case I wash off any protective coating... They’re Indian Runner ducks... and these first eggs are a smallish size - but then, she’s a small duck.

 

[MGG]

You could put some clean straw/wood chips down where she's laying them

 

[Du Vey]

Did all that. I’m wondering if the others walk over them before I get them.
She even laid one in the dog’s bed . Bless her.
My ducks are pets, so they come in and out of the house - except at night when they’re put to bed in their house.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I have Runners, too, and they lay where they please (much to my chagrin). That means that this morning, one egg got kicked down the ramp during the mad rush to get to breakfast...and it cracked. While my pigs were happy, I was not.

Since they won't lay in nest boxes, the eggs get dirty. I don't wash the bloom off; instead, I try to gently wipe off any wet stuff (and any crusty dry stuff later), but I incubate "dirty" eggs and they hatch just fine. Waterfowl eggs just seem better able to withstand wet conditions without bacterial infiltration. Best of luck!

 

[MGG]

I did incubate and absolutely filthy egg once, (bad circumstances, would never intentionally do it) it looked like a mud ball. It grew just fine. The only problem was he got a little hung up while zipping, but I helped him out. He's still alive, so it must be fine