Ok this is a wierd situation. The sitting hen has obviously smashed one of the eggs undernetah her and the goo seems to have got onto the eggs and as they are warming nicely under her, boy do they stink. We easily cleaned her up and the nest etc but the eggs? They are two weeks in and I can't remember if it s warm or hot water to wash eggs in, and also could the chicks potentially have been suffocated by the egg spread? I am in two minds whether to leave them and hold my nose and see or to try and wash the dried egg off, I dont want to suffocate them, Any thoughts please
It sounds like she might still have a stinky bad egg under her if they are still real smelly. If you rinse them (which I haven't ever tried once tehy were started) you're supposed to use warm water...
Nope she is fine and the bed too, all brand new and she is comfy again, its just where the egg has splashed the other eggs. But a little stinky egg goes along way lol!
I think the danger of contaminating bacteria would be worse than a little water. I would rinse them in warm water.
I had two eggs break under my broody hen - what a mess.... I cleaned out the entire nest box, just changed the bedding - I had to clean the broody off with a towel - and the remaining eggs were all sticky and had shavings stuck firm - I washed them all off in warm water, just a quick dunk and wipe with a paper towel. She was left with 4 eggs...... so far 2 have hatched - we're on day 22............ and still giving the other 2 a few days.
Run warm water over them, rubbing with your hand gently till they are clean, then dry them. If you leave the goo on, it will draw ants and you might get maggots. If the nest is contaminated you should put in new nesting material also.
Hi, Thought I would post an update One of the eggs started weeping goo, so I think what has happened is that the hen (who has a habit of burying her eggs under straw when just laid, and also gathering other eggs from other nests by rolling them along the floor awww), has picked up an old egg from somewhere and I assumed it was a new laid one. Once this one was removed and everything cleaned again the smell went so, you were right in a way after all Here's fingers crossed for a successful hatch on the rest X Thanks again everyone