I just got my barnyward mix eggs today and They are a little dirty. Should I clean them before putting them in the incubator? If so...How and with what? Thanks!
I got a barnyard mix for my broody and two were really poopy but I did not clean them. It seems that it would affect the viability of the egg if you should wet them or sand them. They have a coating that is called "bloom" on them and I have heard that you should leave it intact unless you are going to eat them. Don't lnow for sure though.
I put them in my sink full of very hot soapy water then rub them with my hand an rinse them in more hot water.
I have read that it makes no difference whether the eggs for incubation have had their shells cleaned or not cleaned.
Don't do it! I never wash. I have hatches in th 80% range and not less. Unless the whole egg is covered with "stuff" your fine! Enjoy your new habit. Do you study chicken math yet? The best tutors can be found right here. good luck.
I am no expert, since I just had my first hatch. I took some emery cloth and rubbed the poo until I was down to the shell. I didn't wash them. I had no stinky eggs. I had 10 chicks hatch successfully, 1 who died while zipping (got stuck on the egg carton), and 2 quitters, and two that never developed at all.
The eggs have a protective coating on the outside that should not be washed off if you are hatching the eggs. The bloom is Mother Nature's way of protecting the egg. Here's a little about bloom: http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/2010/10/31/egg-bloom/ Eggs that are washed are less lilkely to hatch at all.
I get a kick out of these threads. Every respectable study done on the subject says to wash every egg. My understanding is every big hatchery in the US washes every egg. I have done both. Washing is better. Hatch rates go up, an up even more if you use an antibacterial agent. It has been proven time an time again but this mystical bloom that can stop anything but basic water is still treated as a god.
