Mess from broken egg on other eggs- should I have cleaned them off?

[tashayar]

I have a cochin that was sitting on 12 hatching eggs. Today I found that one was broken, and the goo was all over the other eggs. I didn't think it was good to leave the goo all over, so I took a damp paper towel and wiped them off. Was this a bad idea? I know eggs have a natural "bloom" that acts as a barrier for keeping the egg healthy, and wondered if by wiping them I was wiping this off, but I thought being covered in egg goo probably wasn't good either. What do you think?

 

[WellDunnFarms]

No idea, but following! I would like to know as well .

 

[Ridgerunner]

It is not a good situation, but I think you did what was best. You probably did wipe the bloom off, but that goo can harbor bacteria that would go right through the egg shell and kill any developing chick. The eggs probably stand a better chance cleaned off, but because of that broken egg, they are now at more risk. I sure wish you luck.

 

[tashayar]

Thank-you. I guess we'll have to see what happens! Hoping we don't lose any more.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

You did the right thing in so far as you could when faced with a lose-lose situation.

Depending on the date of incubation and how vigorously you worked the spoiled egg into the eggshell pours of the viable eggs, (cutting off oxygen to the embryos), that none of your eggs will hatch. But it is unlikely that you did any harm, the harm happened when the egg exploded. The bloom is not intended to deal with rotten eggs.

It would help many if you posted again with your hatch results.