Infertal Eggs ??? Need a little advice!

[2 britts]

This is only my second batch of eggs for hatching. The first one went pretty good in my opinion. Nine out of twelve,one pipped but did not make it and the other two were infertal. So-I thought I would load up the incubator and give it another shot. I bought two different batches of Ameraucana eggs and a friend gave me enough SLW eggs to fill the incubator. I am on day 13 of the incubation. Last night I candled some random eggs and the bought eggs are showing very good signs of developement. The others are questionable. I can see an air cell formed but the rest looks clear. If they are infertal,how long is it before they start to weep or smell? No weeping or smells as of today. Any advice would be appreciated.


















//

 

[suebee]

If they're clear after 13 days take them out now. I'd personally candle every one to make sure there are no infertile eggs which could explode leaving a smelly, smelly mess.

 

[Gypsy07]

Infertile eggs in an incubator will most likely go the full 21 days without weeping or smelling.
If they're clean and not infiltrated by bacteria then they shouldn't go rotten.

 

[kvmommy]

Just because they're clear doesn't mean they're infertile. I had a bunch that had scrambled of yolks in my first hatch. But they were dark so I couldn't see anything and they all went 24 days before I cracked them open and they weren't developed at all, but didn't stink. I did have two out of the 24 that started to go bad, but you could smell it. It didn't weep or explode or anything, you could just smell it. I tossed them.

 

[suebee]

Quote:
If an egg is totally clear after 13 days it's not going to develop so why keep it incubating?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Fertility is not a control on whether they get weepy or smelly. Fertile eggs can do that. If bacteria get inside and egg that is at 100 degrees F, it has a perfect environment to multiply, whether it is fertile or not.

The egg shell is porous so the developing chick can breathe. When the hen lays an egg, she puts a layer of something on it, called bloom that helps prevent bacteria from entering the egg. If that layer of bloom is washed off or if you scratch it off, then that additional protection is lost. That is still not necessarily a disaster. If the egg is in a sterile environment, bacteria cannot enter because there are none there to enter.

If the egg is dirty, then there may be bacteria there that can find their way inside the egg. I'm not saying that unless the egg is absolutely pristine that it will explode. Nothing is that clear cut. The bloom will help and just because there is some grime does not mean it will explode. I try to not set eggs that are very dirty, especially dirty with poop, but I don't obsess over it.

Sometimes water can be absorbed through that porous shell. When it goes in, that water can carry bacteria with it if bacteria are present. That is one reason to not refrigerate eggs before incubation. When you take them out of the refrigerator, moisture can condense on the egg and carry bacteria inside the egg. Again, it does not happen each and every time without fail. Some people refrigerate eggs for incubation and hardly ever, if ever, have this problem. It is just another risk they take. For some people, storing eggs for incubation in the warmer section of a refrigerator that is set at the high end of its operating range may be the best alternative.

So the best way to do it is to not scrape or wash the bloom off, do not incubate real dirty eggs, store them as best you can for before incubation, and sniff them occasionally. You should be able to smell them long before they explode if you remember to sniff.

Good luck!

 

[kvmommy]

Quote:
If an egg is totally clear after 13 days it's not going to develop so why keep it incubating?

If its totally clear then by all means toss them. I'm saying in my experience they were too dark to candle, so on day 24 I cracked them and the yolks were scrambled. Although they were fertile eggs, and didn't go bad, I just couldn't see them.

 

[2 britts]

Quote:
If an egg is totally clear after 13 days it's not going to develop so why keep it incubating?

If its totally clear then by all means toss them. I'm saying in my experience they were too dark to candle, so on day 24 I cracked them and the yolks were scrambled. Although they were fertile eggs, and didn't go bad, I just couldn't see them.

Thought I would give an update on the egg situation. I candled all 41 eggs and 21 of them were clear. All 18 of the SLW were clear and 3 of the Buff Ameraucanas were clear. With great hesitation I started cracking open the eggs and sure enough they were not fertile. The good part about it is that I probably nipped a disaster in the bud. Thanks for the replies.

 

[rancher hicks]

I had a broody who hatched some but one I wasn't sure of when it started so I left it. My mistake. It broke and good garden o' peas did it stink. I wouldn't risk it myself but then I don't candle til day 14 at the earliest.

Hope you have a good hatch

rancher