Why to NEVER leave dead eggs in the incubator.

[talkinboutchickens]

Lesson learned.

On October 7th, I put 6 eggs under a broody hen. Only 1 survived. At least I thought it did. That one egg had a very thick shell, therefore I couldn't see much in it so I kept it underneath the hen just in case.

Yesterday would have been the day before lockdown, so I candled again just to be sure.
I was turning the egg around. It was dead. The liquid in the egg was very runny. Not a good sign. However, I wanted to be absolutely sure that it was dead because I was so hopeful that this guy would hatch. As I was moving it around more, it EXPLODED.
yep, they don't lie to you about that happening in incubators! I have never doubted how people say old eggs will explode, but this time I saw it for myself!

It make a super loud POP like a bomb. It released the worst smelling substance I have ever smelled in my whole life. It made me have a gag reflex. I am not even joking. Perhaps it wasn't alive to begin with?

Everyone, this is why you never leave a dead egg in the incubator or under a hen. Or else it could contaminate other eggs and hurt your hand while you are handling it when it explodes. And, it will smell up your whole house.

 

[sourland]

One time is enough.

 

[Debbie292d]

I've never had a chicken egg rot, but I did hatch some duck eggs for a neighbor, and around 2 weeks into incubation, our house started stinking. I realized it was coming from the incubator. I had about 12 eggs, so I sniffed each one. I found one that stunk horrifically! I gently laid it in a towel and covered it, then gingerly walked it out to the yard and tossed it over the hill into the woods.

I'll bet had you sniffed that egg a few days earlier, it would have stunk.