4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[WitchHazel]

Hi, we're hoping to incubate our first fertile eggs next week using a lovely Rcom 20 incubator.

 

I've been reading Katie Thear's book, and she recommends washing AND sanitising fertile eggs before incubating, but I'm sure i'd heard that washing wasn't a good idea (or maybe that was just for eating eggs).

 

What do you do please?

 

Thanks for your help

[Redwing]

Ooooh R Com 20 you lucky thing!

 

I 'dipped my first lot, I made up two mugs of brinsea disinfectant (sp?) mixed with the right qty of warm water, I dipped the egg, wiped it with kitchen towel to get rid of any stubborn dirty marks then dipped in the next cup and wiped with fresh kitchen towel then the egg went in the inccy

 

This time arount I dipped the inccy eggs as above but did not dip the ones that went under the broody, I had to take the broody's eggs of of her later down the line and they went in the inccy as they were

 

I would always dip, if you do it right it wont do any harm and certainly puts your mind at rest

[Lewis]

I've never washed my eggs and I know we didn't at the farm.

 

Some people say not to because if the water is cold it will contract the inner membranes inside the egg and pull in bacteria with it.

[Lesley]

I don't wash the eggs - I do choose clean ones though.

[craftyhunnypie]

I never wash mine either, but like Lesley - choose clean, uniform shaped ones. I always think if you wash them you could actually cause tiny cracks.

 

Emma.x

[WitchHazel]

Thanks for your thoughts on this.

 

I think we'll probably end up sanitising the first time, and then see after that.

[Lesley]

I do sanitise the incubator......and I write the name of the hen who laid the egg in pencil on each egg.

[WitchHazel]

Thanks Lesley.

I think we'll sanitise the incubator and, as the eggs aren't ours and have come by post (so I haven't seen for myself what the place they have come from is like) I'll sanitise the eggs too.