question about eggs in nest

[valewife]

One of my hens just began brooding for the first time.
One egg of the 23 broke. I cleaned up the nest while she was off this morning.
There are several with dried yolk on them in the nest now.
Are chances for hatching these better if I wash them or leave them as is ?
Thanks

 

[Roosterlover5]

You should not wash them. When you wash eggs the water soaks in and if you do it with a chick inside it could kill them.

 

[Turkey Trot]

Nope. Leave them be. I just had a hen start with (we thought) 17 and finally hatch 10 about a week ago. She seemed to clean her own nest out as they either broke or hatched. There were two left that didn't seem to make it. We had a look and then discarded them for her when she ceased to be interested in setting on them. She's happily sailing around with poults in tow and so far, so good. This hen seems a bit more wise than most I've been around and is a VERY good mom, especially for a first timer. She nested under a palmetto and will send the poults well back in it when threatened. Blue jays nesting in a nearby oak as well as mockingbirds about 25 feet away in the next pasture seem to be tag teaming the crows with and for her, so these babies look to have a very good chance of survival. We pen them at night but other than that, they have the run of five tightly fenced acres during the day.