Unsecure chicken perches

[Isabel]

I found Nigella sitting on a broken egg this morning. I hadn't turfed her out yesterday as it was so wet and it had been there a while by the look of it. Several of the other eggs were covered in yolk and aubiose. So what a shenanigans! Changed the nesting box as the yolky aubiose was stuck to bottom of box. Put her and eggs in new box then decided the front side was too low as an egg looked like it was going to roll out so swapped all back again. Put newspaper in-between bottom of box and aubiose and filled with fresh aubiose. With the eggs, and this is what I'm probably more concerned about, I wiped them with damp kitchen paper but the yolk was so dry it wouldn't wash off. So I gently picked and rubbed then put them back under her. Do I need to persevere with cleaning to have them spotless or shall I just leave all alone now?

 

Advice much needed and appreciated please!

 

Thanks

 

Isabel

Edited May 8, 2012 by Guest

[Redwing]

You could take them out and rinse gently in warm water but I think I'd be tempted to leave them alone

[Isabel]

Thank you! I'm going to candle them tonight and remove those that look empty so hopefully no more smelly, broken eggs!

[Isabel]

I've made a mess of updating this but ....

 

Candled again tonight. Before I take eggs out, a question. Eggs at day 17 which I can see through and/or which the contents float around in, are not viable? Is that right?

 

I think I have 5 viable out of the remaining 11. 3 of the lighter shelled eggs have definite black masses, veins and even a little wriggling in one. The other three I can either see through or see the yolk float in, although one has a shadow. The Marans are more difficult. Think 2 of 5 are okay but not certain enough to say the others aren't.

 

Oh, this is stressful!

 

Thanks

 

Isabel

[sjp]

I take any out that are clear ie look like a fresh egg when candled any that are boarder line or are slighly dark I leave dark shelled eggs I leave I find that by day 17 eggs do start to get dirty even the best broody gets court short

[Isabel]

Thanks Will do that! Just needed reassurance that I wasn't planning to lift the good eggs out!