[inchhighfly]

Will be setting my my first lot of eggs this weekend and some of the eggs are slightly soiled. Do I clean them or not - I'm sure I 've read somewhere just to leave them or maybe just buff the big bits off with sand paper. Can anyone offer any advice please.

[Chookiechook]

I dont clean my hens eggs but they are usually clean to start with   But if there is a dirty one that I really want to set, I will use a very warm wet tea towel and twist the egg round and round within till clean...... I think sandpaper could breach the shell but it is a recommended way to clean them.

I have yet to have one not hatch and would rather risk them being a no hoper than introduce poo germs into the bator and ruining the whole hatch

[inchhighfly]

thanks for your input .......... it was the poo germs multiplying in the incubator I was concerned about. I was also worried about the protective bloom being cleaned of though and germs getting in...... would you clean them with a disenfectant?

[orchardlady]

Just had a look in my duck book and I think this is just as relevant for chicken eggs.

Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks by Dave Holderread.


Incubation

Cleaning

Eggs that are nest clean hatch the best. Dirty eggs need to be washed as soon after gathering as possible.
Washing does have several negative effects on duck eggs. It causes removal of the cuticle (a protective film on the shell that reduces dehydration and screens out pollutants) resulting in a slightly lower hatchability and the need to raise the humidity level by 5 to 10 % during incubation. Nonetheless, it is preferable to wash dirty eggs rather than set them uncleaned, since contaminated eggs create an unsanitary condition under the hen or in the incubator,and frequently explode during  incubation due to the buildup of pressure caused by the harmful gasses within the shell.
When eggs are washed, always use clean water that is 10-20F warmer than the eggs. Washing with dirty water spreads contaminants from egg to egg, while washing with cold water forces filth deeper into the shell pores. In situations where it is practical, use a hatching egg disinfectant in the wash water.


Hope this helps.

I've never used an incubator but I wash and dry the eggs with a very hot wrung out dish cloth and dry with a clean tea towel before setting eggs under a broodie hen

OL

[inchhighfly]

many thanks orchardlady - will get cleaning them - I bought the eggs from a breeder I was recommended to and due to distance had to have them posted - was quite disappointed to find them dirty as my own (infertile) eggs don't get dirty very often at all. Maybe I'm just showing off and dirty eggs are the norm.............

[joyfull]

it depends on the source of the eggs and if not cleaned (same with the incubator) chicks can be born with severe illnesses. I bought some birds a couple of years ago - all died and the autopsy showed that these pullets had an illness that could have only come from the eggs being infected or that the breeders incubator was not clean, so please source your eggs carefully, if in doubt clean.