Putting muddy eggs in incubator

[Iluveggers]

I have someone who wants chicks, and I was going to test out some of my eggs for them. Can I put them in if some are a little muddy? I pulled off what I could of any clumps, but a few are still dirty. See pic:

 

[lmadeline146]

I have someone who wants chicks, and I was going to test out some of my eggs for them. Can I put them in if some are a little muddy? I pulled off what I could of any clumps, but a few are still dirty. See pic:
View attachment 3410110

Replying to follow cause i have this question aswell

 

[BarnyardChaos]

@LhickenChicken will tell you that all the dirty eggs she tried to incubate did not hatch. I'd be skeptical about the bacteria in that dirt, and maybe not trust the natural protective bloom to be enough.

I just don't use dirty eggs in the incubator, and I don't wash them. I've got enough birds to be picky about which eggs I choose, and spend a few days collecting just the right ones.

It helps to keep the run as dry as possible, throw some straw or leaf matter around to help control the mud, and always keep nesting boxes filled with clean stuffing. I use the mini wood chips in my nesting boxes and it really does help to clean the birds' feet and keep eggs clean.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Can I put them in if some are a little muddy? I pulled off what I could of any clumps, but a few are still dirty.

It's not ideal.

I have used the scratchy side of a new dry dish sponge to essentially sand it off.

I have also simply washed off with hot water and sat them.. both with successful results.

I'd do one or the other, bare minimum. As it is.. *looks* too thick (and chunky) still giving many potential places to develop bacteria once in a high humidity emvironment.. Just my opinion.

Can you put them in.. sure, see what happens.. test YOUR limits of success.. Most all "rules" given are to meet IDEAL conditions.. Life still happens plenty outside of ideal conditions.

I have personal issues with eggs that mucky.. and make every effort not to allow them, even if just mud with no "waste". Living in the PNW, that means plenty of dry shavings stuff between the coop door and lay boxes.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I use the mini wood chips in my nesting boxes and it really does help to clean the birds' feet and keep eggs clean.

Wanted to add.... I think the mini wood chips are kind of like little scrubbers on their muddy feet. They step into a nest box, and the tiny chips stick to the mud all over. By the time she's scratched around and settled herself, all the mud is rubbed off.
Or something like that. Anyway, it works very well even on very muddy days.

 

[LhickenChicken]

Also I use hay in the nest boxes. And straw on the floor, but it gets dirtier faster. I have to clean it out every 3 weeks.

 

[Yardmom]

If you wait a day or 2 could you get cleaner eggs? If these were the only possible eggs to hatch I personally would put them in as is as. The time I washed a few eggs before setting those eggs did not hatch. A few of my broodies have gotten eggs dirty. Those that looked like your eggs still hatched.

 

[sdm111]

I've hatched washed eggs in incubators and under hens

 

[The Birb King]

I havent had much problems with hatching slightly dirty eggs.

 

[Iluveggers]

Thank you everyone. I am setting 22 eggs, and I had more than that. Those eggs were some of the biggest so I preferred to set them over some of the smaller ones, but I’ll just set a few of the smaller ones that are clean instead. Weird that it was just a few that were muddy…the others had hardly a mark on them!