is it important to remove infertile eggs

[goodmanfarm]

when candling our day 8 eggs, we removed one that was clearly infertile. There was another that we were unsure about, as it was a dark egg, but it also looked like there was not much going on. Ive heard inferitle eggs can explode in the incubator, is this true? I've also heard that they begin to smell. this egg does not smell, and i dont want to remove it if theres any chance it is developing, because we don't have many eggs! this is our second ever hatch, and first with green/blue eggs, and we really don't know what we are looking at. would it be worth it to just leave the egg in the incuabtor until it begins to smell or something?

 

[SilverBirds]

You can leave it in for a few more days to ensure that it's either dead or alive, but bad eggs can and will explode if left in the incubator for too long.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ion-through-incubation-of-chicken-eggs.47879/

I hope this gives you a better idea of what you're looking for. Happy hatching!

 

[Perris]

Ive heard inferitle eggs can explode in the incubator, is this true? I've also heard that they begin to smell.

They can explode, but it's rare and yes they will smell before getting to that stage; such eggs are not just old, they are infected with bacteria. Most infertile eggs, especially if they were clean and fresh when they went in, will just do nothing for the 3 weeks of incubation.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Ive heard inferitle eggs can explode in the incubator, is this true?

Fertile or infertile eggs can explode in the incubator IF bacteria gets inside. If bacteria get inside a developing egg it will kill the embryo. Those eggs don't always explode either, sometimes they ooze a horrible smelling substance through the porous shell.

One of the last things a hen does when she lays an egg is to coat it with a liquid we call "Bloom". That's why a just laid egg looks wet. That bloom quickly dries and forms a barrier to keep bacteria out. As long as that bloom is intact it is extremely effective. Chickens can lay eggs for two weeks to get a brood and then incubate them for three weeks more before hatch and bacteria getting in is almost never a problem. Turkeys, some ducks, pheasant, and other fowl can normally incubate for 4 or 5 weeks without a problem as long as the bloom is intact.

You can remove the bloom by washing the egg or using something like sandpaper to rub dirt or poop off of it. So don't do that if you are going to hatch an egg. I know, commercial hatcheries wash their eggs, but they also sterilize the eggs and the incubators and go to great pains to not introduce bacteria to the incubators. Most of us can't take those extreme measures.

So what can you do when you start to incubate? Do not set dirty eggs. A light dusting of dirt or even dry light poop dust isn't a big problem, it's when globs or dirt or poop are one the egg that the bloom is compromised. Sterile your incubator before you start, I wash it down with a bleach solution. Keep your eggs as clean as you reasonably can. Wash and dry your hands before you handle the eggs, do not handle them with oily, dirty, or wet hands. I don't go to extreme measures, just do the best I can. I've never had an egg get bacteria inside it in an incubator. I have under a broody hen when an egg broke in the nest and got some egg material on the other eggs.

I've also heard that they begin to smell.

They do. If you smell a rotten egg smell sniff them individually and carefully but quickly get rid of any that give off that rotten egg smell.

would it be worth it to just leave the egg in the incuabtor until it begins to smell or something?

I candle my eggs in the incubator around Day 7 to get a feel for how many are developing. That's just for my curiosity. I always put them all back. My shells are usually green and hard to see inside them really well. Then I candle again at lockdown. I sniff them too. I remove any that I'm confident will not hatch, mainly the clears. This is not because I'm worried about them exploding in the incubator, I want them out of the way of the chicks that are going to hatch. It's easier to monitor them with the duds out of the way.

 

[goodmanfarm]

update: i removed the egg. i got a better candling flashlight and decided the egg was infertile. thanks for the help!

 

[goodmanfarm]

You can remove the bloom by washing the egg or using something like sandpaper to rub dirt or poop off of it. So don't do that if you are going to hatch an egg. I know, commercial hatcheries wash their eggs, but they also sterilize the eggs and the incubators and go to great pains to not introduce bacteria to the incubators. Most of us can't take those extreme measures.

did not know this! some of the eggs we got were really really dirty and had spots of dirt and feces coated on them. we didn't wash them all, but we washed the ones that were really bad in a washing solution specifically for fertilized eggs. we also wiped them off with a damp paper towel, but it wasn't very abrasive. When candling, i washed my hands and wore a glove when handling the egg. (the glove prob wasn't necessary) but all the ones we washed showed signs of life on day 8. we cleaned out the bator before putting the eggs in, but we didn't use bleach just soap and water... i hope this doesn't allow for bacteria to get inside my eggs! thanks for the tips for next time

 

[Auntiejessi3]

You are off to a good start with good practices! No, the glove wasn't necessary, I usually just wash my hands and dry them, then go about my candling. I look forward to pics of your chicks! Just a little tid bit, day 9/10 are my favorite days to candle because usually you can see the embryo swimming around in the egg

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

I left mine if I was remotely uncertain as long as there was no odor. I had a dark OE that went into lockdown. After the hatch was done and it had not pipped I opened it on day 23 and it quit before 7 days. No odor before or after opening. I did not wash eggs but they were clean, and I washed my hands before candling.

 

[goodmanfarm]

You are off to a good start with good practices! No, the glove wasn't necessary, I usually just wash my hands and dry them, then go about my candling. I look forward to pics of your chicks! Just a little this bit, day 9/10 are my favorite days to candle because usually you can see the embryo swimming around in the egg

yes! when i candled on day 10 i saw a little embryo swimming around, and i could see its eye and a little bit of a beak! it was so cool... i wish that i had more light eggs so i could see more of them! (most of my eggs are dark/ green and i couldnt see much but the air cell and veining)
and i will definetly upload pics of my chicks once they hatch (apr 28 is day 21) because i am sooo excited!!