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.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The reason an egg gets rotten like that is bacteria gets inside and multiplies. The egg material is a perfect food for many bacteria and incubation temperatures are what many bacteria need to do really well. I agree, when that happens the smell is horrible. If that rotten egg stuff gets on another egg it can infect them so they become rotten.

About the last thing a hen does when laying an egg is put a layer we call "bloom" on the egg. That's why an egg looks wet when it is first laid but the bloom quickly dries and works well to keep bacteria out. If the bloom is compromised bacteria can enter. Maybe the egg gets really dirty, poop or mud is caked on it. The egg gets scratched or rubbed hard enough to remove the bloom. You can remove bloom by washing the egg. I try to only set relatively clean eggs and try to keep my hands clean when handling them so I don't disturb the bloom.

Bacteria do not care if an egg is fertile or not, developing or not. It doesn't matter is a chick inside is alive or dead. If a chick is alive and developing in the egg the bacteria will kill the chick. The egg will still become rotten. In my incubator I do not remove any eggs that are not developing until my final candling at lockdown. I remove any that I'm sure won't hatch at that time. Not because I am afraid of them exploding but because it makes it easier to observe and follow the eggs during hatch if there are fewer of them. I never candle eggs under a broody. I leave it up to her to manage plus it is not convenient to candle those eggs.

If I smell a rotten egg smell I do as Debbie mentioned. I sniff each egg to determine which one is bad and carefully remove it.