Incubating Washed & Refrigerated Eggs

[Mosey2003]

I always wash if they're dirty. Always always. I'd rather lose an embryo than have an exploded egg tainting all the others. If they're not dirty, I only sanitize.

Congrats on the progress!

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I always wash if they're dirty. Always always. I'd rather lose an embryo than have an exploded egg tainting all the others. If they're not dirty, I only sanitize.

Congrats on the progress!

Thanks! Would you mind sharing your sanitizing method?

Of course, because of my initial low expectations, I'm going to have more chicks than planned now...

 

[Mosey2003]

Thanks! Would you mind sharing your sanitizing method?

Of course, because of my initial low expectations, I'm going to have more chicks than planned now...

I use a solution of half water and half original gold Listerine. It depends on the eggs how I do it. Typically they'll be a cool room temperature and I will simply spray them thoroughly and put them back into either a rack or a cardboard carton until they're dry. You never want to set wet eggs or wet them in the incubator, the evaporation cools the surface rapidly and that's not desirable.

Occasionally, if I have a batch that are either still hot (from being outside) or that I have washed under hot water, I'll make a fresh bowl of sanitizer with hot water so that they aren't getting a cold shock.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Will keep that in mind - thanks for sharing! I try to only set clean eggs, too, but that can be a challenge sometimes with ducks. lol

 

[Sprayanimal]

That is awful!! Not only a bummer that there was at least one bad egg, but the mess in that new incubator..!

I was very surprised by how many posters indicated that they wash their hatching eggs...and even more by how many had hatched refrigerated eggs (even ones that had been refrigerated for a while).

Best wishes for the remainder of your incubation experience to be better!

If eggs are filthy wash them in warm water. Filthy eggs are a bacteria problem. I wash anything that I wouldn’t crack to eat.

 

[ronott1]

First candling update: of the 25 originally set, only 1 was a clear. These refrigerated and washed eggs (local, not shipped) are seemingly as fertile and suitable for incubation as non-refrigerated and unwashed. Very surprising!

I honestly wasn't expecting nearly all to be developing...and with goose eggs and more Silverudd's Blue (Isbar) on the way, all 4 incubators are going to be busy.

You will have a good hatch!

Hatcheries wash their eggs and washing is on the list to do from most University hatching instructions.

Refrigerated eggs will hatch very well too

 

[Little Jerry Seinfeld]

I have 3 buff orp egs due to hatch n 1.5 weeks, I just washed 6 because the hens had been scratching arlund the nest and got them dirty, 3 are doing good, and the loss of the other 3 was likely from when my incubator overheated.
I always wash with water warmer than the eggs, I've read that if the water is cooler than the egg, the egg can draw in bacteria from the surface from the inner membrane shrinking away.
I wash mine in running warm water and then splash with witch hazel and gently press onto a clean towel to dry, trying to rub the egg the whole time as little as possible and only where its dirty.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

You will have a good hatch!

Hatcheries wash their eggs and washing is on the list to do from most University hatching instructions.

Refrigerated eggs will hatch very well too

Thanks! I'm so pleasantly surprised that they're plugging along - and hoping that even the cracked one hatches!

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I have 3 buff orp egs due to hatch n 1.5 weeks, I just washed 6 because the hens had been scratching arlund the nest and got them dirty, 3 are doing good, and the loss of the other 3 was likely from when my incubator overheated.
I always wash with water warmer than the eggs, I've read that if the water is cooler than the egg, the egg can draw in bacteria from the surface from the inner membrane shrinking away.
I wash mine in running warm water and then splash with witch hazel and gently press onto a clean towel to dry, trying to rub the egg the whole time as little as possible and only where its dirty.

I like the witch hazel idea! It usually has some alcohol in it - I imagine that helps with disinfection, too.

Best wishes for a great hatch!

 

[Little Jerry Seinfeld]

I like the witch hazel idea! It usually has some alcohol in it - I imagine that helps with disinfection, too.

Best wishes for a great hatch!

Me too, i figured the listerine idea is because of its low alcohol, the witch hazel i use is 30 or 40% I think.