# egg exploded in incubator



## Hencackle

After incubating eggs for years, it finally happened. Came inside the house to a horrendous smell and I ran to look at through the incubator window. Yep, greenish-black goo spilled out of the broken turkey egg. Even the dogs wanted to escape the STINK!

I'm using an R-Com 20 and cleaned it with Oxine solution, sprayed off water from the hose pipe. Thank goodness it's easy to clean hard plastic incubators. 

Given the porosity of eggshells, is it even possible that some of the eggs can be wiped off with a paper towel dipped in Oxine solution and hope to salvage them?

It's HOT outside and I had to turn off the AC and open windows. I'm definitely not in the mood to cook supper tonight.

Help, please!


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## seminole wind

Oh how awful! I would just take a warm damp cloth and wipe them. And if you can, candle them for any more bad eggs.


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## robin416

Heck, you can even dip them in warm water and pat dry.


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## Hencackle

Good, I had hoped seminole or robin would see this--thanks so much, ladies.

I salvaged 4, better than losing everything. 2 of the eggs should be hatching in a day or two. There was a poult that hatched earlier this afternoon. Had I not gone back to the house to get him in order to graft him onto a broody hen, the stench would have had made it upstairs as well.

Luckily for the poult, it was at the opposite end of the incubator from the exploded egg and not coated with the nasty stuff. The (chicken) hen accepted the poult--what a relief. Then I removed the eggs and took apart the incubator in the side yard to clean it and the eggs. 

It took a couple of hours to air out the house.... 

Seminole--congratulations on becoming a Mod. There's a lot of behind the scenes work involved.


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## robin416

I've been fortunate to never experience an egg exploding in the bator. It was bad enough when it happened outside. Congrats on the one making it out and making the hen and poult happy to have each other.


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## seminole wind

Hencackle said:


> Good, I had hoped seminole or robin would see this--thanks so much, ladies.
> 
> I salvaged 4, better than losing everything. 2 of the eggs should be hatching in a day or two. There was a poult that hatched earlier this afternoon. Had I not gone back to the house to get him in order to graft him onto a broody hen, the stench would have had made it upstairs as well.
> 
> Luckily for the poult, it was at the opposite end of the incubator from the exploded egg and not coated with the nasty stuff. The (chicken) hen accepted the poult--what a relief. Then I removed the eggs and took apart the incubator in the side yard to clean it and the eggs.
> 
> It took a couple of hours to air out the house....
> 
> Seminole--congratulations on becoming a Mod. There's a lot of behind the scenes work involved.


Thanks for the kind words, and Robin's big heart! I do love your Avatar!.
I had a near miss once. I got a shipment of eggs and the box smelled gag terrible. I tossed that egg. Then 4 days into incubation, I see 2 sweating. I tossed them. Then I tossed the rest because I was just mad. I contacted the seller who was well recommended and told her and wanted a refund. After the refund, She also said there is no way her eggs were old or bad. It's impossible with her collection method and she also gives extra eggs to the church- meaning she has a good reputation.

When I threw the other 9 eggs out, I put them in a bag and bashed the bag a few times against the side of the garbage can and they were outside in 50 degree weather.

The lady insisted I get the eggs out of the garbage and put them back. I took them in and 8 were viable with no cracks. I got 8 cute Faverolles.

A month later on the Faverolle thread on another forum, she stated that I had contacted her about some bad eggs and she thought I was a nut. But then got 2 more complaints. And she apologized to me on the thread. She said that one of the nests was wet from thaw dripping and she never noticed. It was nice of her to address the problem on the thread and an apology.

Hencackle, weren't you involved in English Orpingtons years back?


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## Hencackle

> A month later on the Faverolle thread on another forum, she stated that I had contacted her about some bad eggs and she thought I was a nut. But then got 2 more complaints. And she apologized to me on the thread. She said that one of the nests was wet from thaw dripping and she never noticed. It was nice of her to address the problem on the thread and an apology.


That's very commendable of her.



> Hencackle, weren't you involved in English Orpingtons years back?


No, I used to be friends with the person that imported English Orpington eggs. She and a certain person that imports rare breeds made a swap. She claims that the Marek's outbreak that showed up in her flock resulted from the other person's birds. Last I heard, she no longer keeps chickens.

At that time, those hatching eggs were beyond my budget, and grounds for divorce if I had ordered some. LOL


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## robin416

Are you referring to Broom?


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## Hencackle

Yes, ma'am.


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## robin416

How are things going at the homestead these days? It's been a while since you've done any updates.


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## seminole wind

Hencackle, love your avatar!

You have a homestead?


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## robin416

They bought a house I'd love to own. After all the fixes they did to it anyway. I think it was an old Craftsman.


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## Hencackle

I know. I've been meaning to contact you or post here.

It's been rough the past 2 years. My mother died last year, the day before my birthday. I had a premonition, so I knew it was coming soon. She's no longer suffering and that's what gives me comfort. The worst part is the fighting between my sister and dad; between him and Mom's sister and her family. I was not prepared for that.

My father is angry for so many of the iatrogenic issues that led to Mom's rapid decline. My sister tries to tell my father that he's being negative and proceeds to tell him what to do, how to think. They got into a very heated argument that lasted over hour. Her dh, my dh and I went outside to wait it out. If that wasn't enough, she sends a rude email to him when she got back home.

More than 2 years later and it's tense between them. She hasn't grasped the concept that change must come from from within him, not because she told him how to think or act. Suggestions can come from a counselor via therapy, but if a family member tries to exert control over another--both parties become defensive. What Dad needed for my sister to do is just listen.

My aunt and family are upset because Dad didn't have the memorial service within a couple of weeks after cremation. I was the one that suggested the memorial be postponed. With the way my sister and father were fighting, how fragile he had become and the bickering on my aunt's side--that won't honor Mom at all. My father had not eating or sleeping well. Sometimes, he would not eat at all in a given day. I think he dropped 4 pants sizes, way too much for someone who wasn't overweight to start.

We lost 16 birds earlier this year. When the man that bought the 44 acres next to us started building his house in February, that's when the attacks started. A section of the poultry electronet was replaced and the predator attacks have stopped. (knock on wood)

Nothing new done to the house yet. Dh has found a carpenter that is experienced in installing wood siding. This house is old, not historic, so we're not worried about replacing siding painted with lead-based paint. Better to leave lead encapsulated within the paint than disturb the paint by scraping or sanding. Fingers crossed this project can be done this year!!!

Once the siding is up, we can decide on the color and pattern of the metal interlocking shingles. The original metal shingles can't handle the strong gusts that whip through here. The good thing is knowing which roofing company to use. 

We are up to 13 goats now. One set of twins was born Easter Sunday and the 2nd set came the next day. These are our first kids. Would you believe I missed the kidding?! Wore a path from the house to the barn checking umpteen times a day and still managed to miss seeing the grand entrance.

Still planting the 2 gardens. Just about everybody had a late start this year due to the rains.

Remember BantyChickMom? She said she might come visit CF sometime. 
Save
Save
Save
Save​


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## Hencackle

I'm glad you like the avatar, seminole. It came from DeviantArt.com 
Some paintings show Mary Magdalene holding a white egg; others depict a red egg. 

I wish this were a real Craftsman bungalow! It does have potential for somebody with deep, deep pockets. It needs all kinds of work, like a real bathroom with a nice soaking tub. Putting a dormer in the upstairs bathroom should allow a tub to fit where the ceiling sloped too low for a tub.

There are some "fixes" done by a man who thought he knew what he was doing and too cheap to hire someone else. (he is the husband of one of the women that inherited this place) 

There are 8.72 acres, about half wooded. Poison ivy and blackberry briars flourish here.  At the time we were looking at this place, my R knee was messed up and I didn't walk through the land as thoroughly as I should have. Actually, I should have run like hell. 

robin, you know what's confusing? The man that bought the land beside us has a gorgeous, wide view of the mountains. He built a large house with tiny windows.  He's a realtor/homebuilder/farmer. It just doesn't make sense.

Checked on the incubator a few moments ago. A turkey egg is rocking.


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## robin416

Seems to me BCM has been here and things didn't go well. 

I'm so sorry to learn your Mom is no longer here. I thought that things were going well for her once they worked out the other challenges affecting her health. And I get your Dad. I think I also get your Sis, doesn't make it easier but she's lashing out because she's not dealing with her pain well. Now you've got two people who are suffering at each other and neither knows how to stop it.

I've had challenges here the past two years myself. I'll see if I can find the link for some of what hubs was going through that I posted in the open forum. 

Remember Head Tuck, my head injury bird? She turned 11 in March. Now that she no longer goes broody she doesn't have down days. 

Do you still have my gmail addie? If not the Yahoo one still works. I just don't go there often now that they've aggravated me so much. 

OK, I'm going to go find that link for you.


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## robin416

http://www.chickenforum.com/f34/update-hubs-10970/

http://www.chickenforum.com/f34/living-major-hospital-10647/

http://www.chickenforum.com/f36/enough-enough-enough-10400/

I forgot a lot of this. The dog's issues exploding just as the hub's issues were making themselves known.


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## seminole wind

Wow Hencackle, sounds like my kind of house anyway. I've really thought sometimes about looking for a house built in the 40's. 

I know what you mean about little windows. Some people just like being cut off from the outside. I love a house with a flow that makes you want to go outside . Big windows, etc.


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## Hencackle

Robin...you endured way more challenges in a short time than anyone should have. I'm so sorry.

Robin said:


> I've never met any of you, yet here I am talking about this to perfect strangers. I hesitate to even talk to those I know well about what we're facing. Is it because of the faceless internet, or is it the common bond we share where our animals are concerned? Is it because we understand just from having the responsibility to keep the animals under our care healthy? I don't know the full answer and I'm not sure it matters, you folks here on the forum have been a rock and have supplied me with an outlet I didn't know I needed.


Because the members of this forum share common interests, and having animals, especially any kind of livestock, indicates that we are less likely to be shallow, or self-serving. We are the nurturers.

I somewhat remember Head Tuck, although I don't recall the breed. Eleven years old--that's impressive!

I searched through the Contacts and I found your Yahoo address. Gmail and I don't get along. 

Seminole, I'll PM my PB link. I don't know the year the house was built, but I have a hunch it was in the late 1910s - early 1920s. I know one thing--the original tile on the fireplace were removed by somebody. Maybe the granddaughter wanted them. Who would use those little square, unglazed red clay pavers on a fireplace? Just use the fireplace one time and they are stained.

The good thing about old houses are floors that creak or pop. Teenagers won't be able to sneak out without your knowing about it. Save
Save
Save
Save​


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## seminole wind

I'd love an old house like that. Hopefully one that someone didn't replace all the old trim, oak floors, glass door knobs, etc.

I think you can't pick your family, but you can certainly pick your forum!

Maybe it was Head Tuck in 2009 (?) that shared her med with Eddy who may have had some brain swelling?


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## Hencackle

One of the poults hatched yesterday and given to a Butterscotch, an EE to raise. Another egg is zipping a little. By tonight, Butterscotch should have 3 poults and her own little chick.


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## robin416

That's great news that the eggs continued on to hatch. So many would have just dumped them all. Not us, nope. Any chance is a chance to have a healthy live peep.


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## Hencackle

I don't give up easily. Frustrated, or even confused, yes. Even scared is ok. Its always good to ask what somebody with experience in the matter would do. That's what forums are for.


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## Hencackle

*Update!*

The last egg hatched this afternoon. 

I started with 7 turkey eggs, one exploded and I tossed 2 because they had been coated all afternoon before I came back inside. Just trusted my intuition there because I was worried about the possibility of contamination causing omphalitis. Turkeys are harder to get started than chicks. I didn't want to compound things.

Anyway I'm grateful for Robin and Seminole's help. I have 4 poults when I could have tossed everything.


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## robin416

And how is the little crew doing? Did you give them all to a hen to raise?


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## seminole wind

Glad you got some babes.


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## Hencackle

Yes, the poults were given to a chicken hen to raise. Funny thing is when I went to the barn to close the doors for the night, Butterscotch only had one poult under her. I grabbed a flashlight and searched around on the ground, under equipment...some of the poults made their way to Chip, a turkey hen. Now Chip has 5 poults of various ages while Butterscotch just has one.


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## robin416

They must have heard him. One of the things I noticed when I had chickens hatching keets is that there was a language barrier. I would see a hen telling peeps about a wonderful tidbit and the keets would just stand there looking at her.


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## seminole wind

Aww.. One time I had a silkie hatch 5 eggs and I put 5 in the incubator for my addiction. At 3 days old I took the mom and moved her to a better coop and gave her the 5 incubator babies. She couldn't understand why they would not come near her or hide under her. After a day it worked out. Then I reintroduced her original 5 and her family was bigger. Then I added her co-hatcher hen to share the work. It was cool.


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## robin416

Silkies, gotta love em. With most of mine I didn't have to do all that. If they heard another peep they wanted to add it to their crew. The co parenting thing is fun. I've actually still got that happening with my old Hamburgs and Chicklett.


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## seminole wind

One time I had 3 broodies minding the eggs/chicks. One would get up and the other 2 would be rolling the eggs under their necks to their own nest. They all had the same nest.

Several times my silkies hatched Polish and even after the Polish grew up and separated, they would jump over the fence to visit mom and dad and the silkies , even the roo, would treat them like family. That was sweet!. However it got to the point that there were 5 Polish moving in with them and there just wasn't enough space, LOL


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## Hencackle

My smaller birds have the co-parenting approach too! Usually, the duty is shared between 2, but I've had a few that involved 3 hens. I worried that one of the 3 hens would be suffocated and I would chase off one, but she would come back and bunch up in the nest. 

After the eggs hatched, the 3rd hen roosts close by, but rejoins the other 2 hens and chicks during the day. I'm not worried about a drop in egg production--3 hens get a break from laying, and the chicks have extra protection. Works out well, IMO.


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