hey everyone! I have some eggs I would like to put under one of my broodys... the problem is my nankin only laid a couple of eggs and they where on the ground so they got dirty. What would be the best way to clean them without damaging the cuticle?
How dirty is dirty? IMO (and bear in mind that I am only on my second time right now hatching eggs in an incubator), if it's just a few traces of dirt I'd leave it alone. But filthy? I don't know. I think I might wait until the next eggs are laid.
I run the dirty ones under the sink with as hot of water as I can stand an just rub them with my hand. The heat makes the egg expand an push the dirt off the shell... Do not use cold water. It would suck trash in to the egg.
I just wash the dirty ones under hot/warm water as well. If they aren't really dirty, then I don't mess with them.
When a hen lays an egg it has a protective bloom. If you wash that egg it takes that protective bloom away and can allow bacteria to enter the egg easier than if it were just being incubated. So I say in my experience, if they are too dirty for me to just put under a broody, then wait and put dfferent ones. That is what I would do and would never wash em.
