Incubating dirty eggs

[DukesDucks]

I got volunteered to incubate Runner duck eggs for a friend of a friend. I have experience incubating duck, chicken, and peacock eggs but always my own. I just received the Runner eggs. Granted it has been very rainy here but these eggs are covered in dirt. Before I put them in the incubator should I wash them or just try to pick off the worst of it?

 

[Canadian Wind]

Washing them would remove the bloom and expose them to bacteria. I'd try to pick off some of the clumps, but otherwise leave them as is.

Any chance you can tactfully ask them to put fresh bedding in the nesting box and get more eggs instead?

 

[5Australorpasaures]

You can possibly use a scotch brite pad, dry to lightly buff the worst of it and they come in different coarseness. Works on chicken eggs, never had ducks so just a suggestion.

 

[DukesDucks]

Thanks for the advice. This is a one time thing for this person. My peacocks will be laying soon, if they know what's good for them, and my incubators will be full of their eggs.

 

[DukesDucks]

Told the peacocks I saw some lovely ones at the sale on Sunday. Presto - 4 eggs today.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Told the peacocks I saw some lovely ones at the sale on Sunday. Presto - 4 eggs today.

Yes, they were indeed lovely! And my daughter would shoot me if I came home with one!

Loved the way the guy had his cages, so the tail feathers could hang out the back.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Buff them clean with a DRY cloth or the non-scratch cleaning pads or sponge.

I've just checked my "Incubation Guide" by Hubbard for what to do. The guide is for chicken eggs, but some may translate to duck eggs as well.
https://www.hubbardbreeders.com/media/incubation_guideen__053407700_1525_26062017.pdf

In summary, it says that bacteria penetrate the egg shell during the first few hours after it's laid, during the cooling off period, when the air cell is first formed. The cooling process causes components of the egg to contract, creating a type of suction through the shell - and bacteria and fungus can get in and adhere to the shell membranes.

"Further, disinfection of the egg shell surface has little effect on contaminants that have already penetrated the egg shell." The best time to clean them is when they are still warm and cooling down. It also says that shell quality and the thickness of the egg shell are more important to preventing contamination than the length of time that they were exposed to bacteria.

But ... this guide was written more for commercial producers than backyard chicken owners, and goes on to recommend washing as a good method to use, followed by disinfection by chemical means (but states that certain sanitizers can block the pores). So take that for what you will; myself, I will not be applying chemical sanitizers to any of my chicken eggs. So there, Hubbard. Humpf.

 

[DukesDucks]

And my daughter would shoot me if I came home with one!

Well of course she would. You would have to bring home a pair.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I had shipped eggs come and I almost fell over with how dirty they were
Poo and dirt
I’m use to very clean eggs from my crew

 

[Finnie]

Just to throw in the opposing viewpoint, I refuse to put dirty eggs into my incubator. And my ducks used to lay their eggs in the mud or wherever they wanted. I almost always washed their eggs under running water with a paper towel. Sometimes I could get away with a damp paper towel without the running water.

I would mark on them if they were washed. My washed eggs hatched just as well as my unwashed eggs. People are afraid to wash eggs. I am not afraid. I wash eggs and I hatch them and they are fine.