Should dirty eggs be cleaned?

[Booster]

Eggs I purchased arrived less than pristine.

I tried wiping them with a dry paper towel but didn't help any. Are they ok to put in the incubator the way they are?

 

[jvls1942]

your less than pristine might be different than ours.. can you be more specific?

 

[cw]

i believe you can use sand paper very lightly to nock off any dirt

 

[Booster]

Dried mud/poop? Looks like the hen had walked in mud then on the eggs. Streaks & spots, not solid or caked. Won't wipe off dry.

Just wondering about germ contaminants.

 

[jvls1942]

they probably are just fine like they are..

you can wipe them with a damp paper towel or cloth if you want to..

I do not incubate poop..

the probability of contamination is very slight..

I just finished hatching a dozen chicks for a lady who brought me dripping wet eggs in the carton..
no problem.. believe me, there was no bluhm left one those eggs.

 

[Judy]

I got 10 hatching eggs in the mail that were poopy, streaks that I couldn't wipe or scrape off. I put them under my broody. At least 8 were fertile but died in the shell. One chick hatched and was not healthy and died in a few days.

That is my one lone experience. If I had it do do over, I would have tossed them.

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
I really do not understand.. why would you toss them?

 

[FenDruadin]

I wash my eggs. But I have ducks, and they consistently get their eggs VERY dirty. I use a mild dish soap in warm water. I dunk each egg individually, rub gently, dunk, rub, dunk, etc. until they are clean. This is only my second hatch, so I am no expert, but I have talked to others who have good success with this method.

I only wash if the eggs are dirty. Which they nearly always are. In this batch, two out of thirteen were NOT washed. I've marked & am recording my results, so eventually I'll hopefully learn a little about the effects of washing on hatchability, but so far they are all developing nicely, so I'm not worried.

 

[jvls1942]

I believe that contamination comes more from dirty equipment than from dirty eggs..