Rotten eggs!

[Susan Skylark]

I’ve got 40 quail eggs in the incubator, 11 slated to hatch tomorrow but one was definitely rotten, but which one?! With a dozen eggs pipping and in lockdown I didn’t want to open the incubator more often than three times a day to turn the younger eggs. Happily I had marked a slightly cracked egg at candling on day 5 (day 9 today) and could easily pick out the candidate when I went in to turn eggs and that was the stinker, ugh! It was developing and I was curious to see if it could survive, apparently not. Note to self don’t try hatching cracked eggs, it really could be a mess, especially with a full incubator!

 

[Debbie292d]

I know you're always experimenting. Glad we already know not to incubate cracked eggs unless it's small enough to be sealed shut with wax.

 

[Ridgerunner]

That smell gets your attention, doesn't it. I'm aware of two potential problems with cracked eggs in an incubator. You found one. If bacteria is present then bacteria can get inside the egg and cause it to go rotten. Another potential problem is that a crack can allow excess moisture to escape so the egg loses too much moisture to hatch.

There is another risk under a broody hen. My broody hens walk on the eggs as they are getting on or off of the nest. Come to think of it, my hens do that when laying eggs too. If she hots it right she could poke a claw through it, puncturing the egg. Or maybe totally break it.

Some people use wax or fingernail polish to seal a crack in an egg. There is still a risk that bacteria may have already gotten inside but sealing it does reduce that risk.