Stinky Duck Eggs Question

[LittleLakesFarm]

My duck eggs have been on lock down for approximately 24 hours in my home made incubator. I can now smell (from the outside) that there are 1 or 2 that are stinky. All temp. & humidity levels have maintained wonderfully throughout the entire incubation. I dare not open the lid but I have heard that the stinky/dead ones can contaminate the healthy ones or even explode. Is this true? Is it okay to leave them in there or will they contaminate the healthy ones? If I need to take them out, what do I do? I don't want to open the lid and "shrink-wrap" and kill the healthy living ones :/ ???? Help please.

 

[PD-Riverman]

My duck eggs have been on lock down for approximately 24 hours in my home made incubator. I can now smell (from the outside) that there are 1 or 2 that are stinky. All temp. & humidity levels have maintained wonderfully throughout the entire incubation. I dare not open the lid but I have heard that the stinky/dead ones can contaminate the healthy ones or even explode. Is this true? Is it okay to leave them in there or will they contaminate the healthy ones? If I need to take them out, what do I do? I don't want to open the lid and "shrink-wrap" and kill the healthy living ones :/ ???? Help please.

Did you Lite the eggs before lock-down removing any bad eggs? Having never had to do this---but thinking what to do---- "I" would crack the incubator just enough to pull a egg out and do the smell test---not turning the egg any---place the good back in ---removing the bad eggs---I would do this now so the humidity has time to readjust. Good Luck

 

[LittleLakesFarm]

Thanks for your help. I have about 10 eggs in there and I'm not sure which one it is. I did candle them before they went in but they are so big by that point it is difficult to tell. They weren't stinky at that time. I am afraid of the "shrink-wrap" thing happening if I open the lid. :/ Plus the lid would have to be open for awhile for me to tell which egg(s) are stinky.

 

[PD-Riverman]

Thanks for your help. I have about 10 eggs in there and I'm not sure which one it is. I did candle them before they went in but they are so big by that point it is difficult to tell. They weren't stinky at that time. I am afraid of the "shrink-wrap" thing happening if I open the lid. :/ Plus the lid would have to be open for awhile for me to tell which egg(s) are stinky.

AS I said above, I would Just Crack it enough to remove a egg---not open it completely---working quickly I would open slightly, get a egg, close as your hand comes out---smell, put it back if it is not the one and get another one---repeat. I just would not turn the egg over---be careful to keep the top as the top when replaced and repeat till you check them all. If you think you got a stinky egg now----wait two/three more days and/or it explode----you got a Mess. You will probably loose them all then.

I would be one of the first to tell you DO NOT OPEN now during lock down, BUT you got a problem that can get alot worse. Also one thing that is on your side is you have a couple more day till hatching---I would Do it Now----keeping in mind All the eggs will probably smell some, but as soon as your nose get close to the rotten one's---you will know it. Good Luck

 

[LittleLakesFarm]

Ok I have done it. One REALLY smelled and another was just starting to go off. The rest seemed okay. Thanks for everything. I hope everyone comes out alright!

 

[PD-Riverman]

Ok I have done it. One REALLY smelled and another was just starting to go off. The rest seemed okay. Thanks for everything. I hope everyone comes out alright!

Good, as early as it is in lock down---I feel you did the right Thing!! I took about 60 chicks out the hatcher this morning 72 last Monday, 50 some the week before---LOL. I enjoy it!!

Oh from now own----when you light them to put into lock down, also do a smell test---it can save you a headache. Good Luck!

 

[LittleLakesFarm]

I will definitely do the smell test before lock down next time for sure. I did it this time and there wasn't a bad smell. It takes a couple of days sometimes before they start stinking. They must have just died before lockdown . I have never had this happen before. According to my thermometer, neither the temp. nor the humidity levels were affected by lifting the lid so that is good. I also heard some cheeping in there too! Thanks for the advice. I need all the luck I can get.