Why dont we wash the eggs???

[ladyomaha]

WOW, I am amazed by all this reading, I have 6 bators, I will do one with washing and one No washing and see what my hatch rate turns out to be. Maybe why I only have a 5% hatch rate...lol. I am so new at this and tried for about 3 mths to hatch before I found this site, and never hatched a one, til I started asking questions on here, not I have about a 20% hatch rate, would love to see that number get about 50. Thanks For all the information, you all truely are Amazing ppl to help each other out. Much appreciated.

 

[CarolJ]

I've been a member here at BYC for about six or so months, and I've read so many posts on how VITALLY IMPORTANT it is to NOT wash eggs in order to protect the bloom, and I've read a similar number of posts on how VITALLY IMPORTANT it is TO wash eggs. I've decided it's personal preference. I wash all the eggs I collect - whether for eating or incubating. That's my preference, and it works for me. Not washing is the preference of others, and that works for them. Folks will get very passionate about whichever method they use. However, I don't think it's a big deal one way or the other. Just decide what you feel comfortable with - and then try to ignore anyone who disagrees.

 

[Wnunezcruz]

Washing the eggs will cause the water to go into the pores of the egg and harm the embryo. You cam try to scrub the egg with soft sand paper gently.

 

[Gypsy07]

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Uh, there IS no embryo at that point. Not until you incubate and start the development. And you've hit on the reason you should always use warm water - the heat causes the contents of the egg to expand slightly and expel any bacteria or dirt that is in the pores. If you use cold water the contents of the egg would contract and draw the bacteria or dirt inwards.

 

[Gypsy07]

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This is of course 100% correct and very good advice, but dude, I live in Scotland. Sometimes I feel like Noah's wife as our rain is genuinely of biblical proportions and can sometimes go on for over a month without any respite. In the winter, our yard and our fields are just a big mud bath. Try keeping your free range chickens' feet clean in that kind of weather!

 

[chickened]

I live in the Pacific Northwest and I know what you mean. I have a series of roosts and walking planks that force the hens to use to get to the nest boxes and it does clean their feet somewhat. Until one lays on the ground.

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This is of course 100% correct and very good advice, but dude, I live in Scotland. Sometimes I feel like Noah's wife as our rain is genuinely of biblical proportions and can sometimes go on for over a month without any respite. In the winter, our yard and our fields are just a big mud bath. Try keeping your free range chickens' feet clean in that kind of weather!

 

[ILOVELEGHORNS]

Quite interesting, I have a superior hatch rate WHEN I wash dirty eggs. If I set dirty eggs in the incubator, the hatch rate with those declines significantly. Thats been my experience. When I wash eggs, I use cold water because I dont want to disolve the bloom. I wash them very gently. After they are dry, the bloom is still there and I set them.
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[sixshooter60]

Its amazing at the different ways to do things ...I am no expert at incubating eggs by a long shot and i have learned alot of very valuable information on here i have also learned that no matter what question is asked there will always be different answers and knowing which is right and which is not is a crap shoot.. So i take all the different answers and try each oneto see what works for ME, I hardly ever respond to anything on here for that very reason That no matter what response i give someone will give something different and its very confusing to someone with little experience as i know cause i one of those ..lol...As for washing eggs i dont have a clue whats best.I do however clean mine i dont per say wash them like i would a load of laundry what i do is mix a spray bottle with warm water and oxine and lightly spray them in a egg tray and then give them a minute or so for the mist to loosen the crud on them and take a soft cotton cloth and gently wipe the crud off . thats my way and it works for ME Im a believer in Oxine as an antibacterial . i also put a drop or two in my water pan to help keep the bacteria down in the bator ... so now i have posted and i dont have a clue why i did as im sure there will be different answers as there already have been.. but i wish you good luck in trying to decide whats rights and whats wrong...

 

[Gypsy07]

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That's something that Brinsea recommend you do as well. They sell their own brand of incubator disinfectant for scrubbing out your bator, but they say you should also put a drop or two in your water pan or water reservoir to stop bacteria forming in the water over the 21 days of incubation.

 

[chickened]

I have done it every which way and have really seen no difference worth noting, washed, unwashed, 2 week old eggs and 1 day old, upside down and right side up, all this and then some other mishaps that you would think would kill an egg and voila it hatches. I recently hatched about 90% in my incubator set at 98 degrees by mistake. Let the water run out for a week and no problems.
This washing subject surfaces from time to time and the best answer that comes from it is do what you feel is best.