I've worked on egg production farms. We ran the eggs through scalding hot chlorinated washers then dipped in peroxide. Then they were stored in a refrigerated room until they were shipped out...all things we're told not to do before incubating eggs. We'd actually get in trouble for sending unwashed eggs, even if they appeared to be clean. We got averages of 98.99% hatch rates. One thing I'm glad you mentioned is creating a sterile environment. Making sure you're handling with clean hands and moving to a sanitized incubator makes a big difference!
Just curious.. this is a weird question but in nature will the hen choose the cleanest eggs to sit on to hatch her chicks? I mean most nests aren’t sterile. I just got some eggs from my neighbor to put in the incubator and to be honest they weren’t very clean but I didn’t wash or even rub them before I put them in my brand new incubator because I had heard that it would take the bloom off of them. They have been in the incubator for 24 hours. Are the ruined? Should I throw them away and try to get super clean eggs? They do have some poop on them I think or maybe it’s just dirt. I can’t tell.
I agree. To play devils advocate...by washing the eggs are we allowing chickens who are less disease resistant to reproduce making them more susceptible to things like avian flu? Seems like messing with evolution is not the best strategy long term.
Hi, thanks for the informative video. I have been reading about disinfecting the eggs and this is the only video I have seen that shows a step by step simple process. THANK YOU.
@@ElbonMillFarm should I clean eggs that have been under my broody hen for 2 weeks? (there are 2 broken eggs in the nest and they have egg on the outside)
It's the truth I use to spray mine with half water half peroxide mixture this highly increased my hatch rate. This year I didn't do peroxide not good hatch rates . Thank you
Muchas gracias por la explicacion, cuantos huevos pueden eclosionar luego de una limpieza con peroxido? Cual es el porcentaje de eclosion? Tiene algun video del resultado final? Saludos desde Ecuador
@@hannahdivic28 sorry haven’t had time to do the video yet 🙁 But I spray them out good, scrub them with a toothbrush, spray them with peroxide, and let them dry in the sun. Hope I responded before you had to sterilize. 🤞🏼
@@hannahdivic28 I like the peroxide simply because it doesn’t leave a strong smell and it’s what I wash my eggs in. But I’m sure bleach would work too.
Thank you. This is my first attempt. The eggs I was given to incubate were very pooped on... no way was I feeling comfortable about hatching them this dirty bloom or no bloom! I'll let you know how it goes... loved how fluid you were... telling me you knew what you were talking about!
Good luck with your hatch! Definitely let me know how it goes for you 😊That’s the best part about washing and sanitizing the eggs, it allows you to hatch eggs you might not be able to hatch otherwise.
I was just watching a video that suggested Listerine mixed half and half with water for quail eggs. I hatch my quail eggs as is til now, but trying to find a better yield for next time, good info!
At 3:15 time of your clip, did you say you USE WARM WATER to clean the eggs instead of COLD water because the latter (cold water) opens pores and let dirt to enter? All I thought is that all things if not most expand when exposed to heat and contract when its cold. So, chicken egg shell pores is an exception. Am I correct in my understanding of your explanation, Madam? I am getting some eggs ready for hatching too but I never tried sanitizing or disinfecting them. Thank you.
I try to use water just a bit warmer than the eggs themselves. Cold water let’s the stuff inside the egg shrink and it can suck the bacteria in, whereas warm water causes the stuff in the egg to expand keeping the bacteria on the outside the shell from being able to come in. Or at least that’s how it was explained to me and what seems to work for me.
I was thinking the same. It is know fact that the hot water opens up the pores and cold water closes the pores. In general heat is opening up pores ( that's why we sweat) and cold closes pores. After reading your explanation I think you just mixed up the meanings. So the cold water actually shrinks the pores of the egg shell and bacteria can get in, and warm water will open up the pores of the shell and not let bacteria through.
@@OlgaFedorovna it's not about the opening of the pores, it's about the egg inside the shell. When the temp of the water is cold, the egg inside shrinks and allows for that dirty water on the outside to soak into the egg. With the water being a little bit warmer than the egg, the egg stays full size in there and doesn't allow for more water absorption.
OK I just pulled a bunch of eggs this morning and I am going to wash them and use peroxide. So what kind of environment do you store the eggs while you're waiting to fill up the incubator? Can I store them in a room type environment or is it better to put them in the sanitized incubator even though I am not starting for at least a few more days. Appreciate the knowledge you are sharing here.
Currently I hatch a large fowl chicken cross, a bantam chicken cross, and coturnix quail. In the past I’ve hatched ducks, peacocks, turkeys, guineas, and 8 different breeds of chickens.
If you’re breeding to the standard you’re going to want the darker eggs since they’re known for their black eggs. And I’m using regular peroxide from Walmart and just making sure all sides of the eggs are covered in it.
I wash mine right before I put them in the incubator. I hatch weekly, so I collect eggs for a week at a time. I store them in a cool room of my house in egg turners. Then once a week I wash and put them in the incubator.
@@ElbonMillFarm Do you allow the eggs to dry or you just put in the incubator immediately ? In addition, please how do you measure the percentage of hydrogen peroxide you use to clean the eggs after washing with warm water? I do wish to get your email. Thank you
I put them in the incubator as soon as I’m done cleaning each tray. And the percentage of peroxide I use is determined by the bottle I buy from the store. I use it straight out of the bottle and the stores around here sell 3%
I use 3% hydrogen peroxide because it’s what my pharmacy carries. And I wash my eggs first so there isn’t usually any fizzing by the time I do the peroxide. Then I let them air dry. Hope that helps!
The studies are done with 6% peroxide. Most the time I can only get 3%. And sorry, that was confusing, I don’t really let them dry totally, but I have to carry them over carpet. So I let them air dry while I wash them all so they don’t drip and ruin the carpet, but they’re basically straight in. I’m not leaving them sit on the counter to dry for hours, just long enough so peroxide isn’t dripping everywhere. Hope that’s less confusing 😊
Yeah, I just get the normal peroxide from the store. I do know the poultry studies were done with a higher percentage, but I just grab what’s easiest for me. 😊
Hi I’ve got a mini intelligent incubator not the best I know but the directions say put it on 38 degrees until lock down them turn it down to 37 .5. Could you give me any advice on this please. Thanks in advance debra
Thanks! The ones I have, I purchased from Strombergs. They come in different sizes too. These blue ones hold my chicken eggs easily, but larger duck eggs are a tight fit, and small bantam eggs can fall through. www.strombergschickens.com/Universal-Egg-Racks
I actually don’t have exploders very often. When I do have one go rotten, I can usually smell it before it gets to the exploding point because they have a crack that the smell is coming from.
No. Eggs left under a broody hen are exposed to bacteria unlike eggs hatched in a sterile incubator. So they need to keep the bloom or cuticle as a protective barrier to bacteria. This only works for eggs in sterile environments.
This is new to us we put some dirty eggs in the incubator 2 days ago would you think I should take them out clean them then put them back in? I would really appreciate your input.
Hydrogen peroxide is a fantastic disinfectant especially when youre disinfecting fragile things. It’s my go to disinfectant when doing tissue culture. With tissue culture, it’s vital to completely sterilize plant tissue without killing the plant tissue. Peroxide has always proven to be the least invasive but in my experience, also the most effective.
By the way I have 10 laying hens and 1 rooster all White Leghorn. My incubator is one of those yellow ones that turns the eggs for you and I think it holds 120 chicken eggs...but I plan to just try with about 40 or 50 eggs since we have already collected enough eggs for eating. I too am looking forward to your response.
So what I do is store hatching eggs in a cool room of my house, point side down, and I shift the eggs multiple times per day until I’m ready to incubate. Because I hatch a large number of eggs, I actually use two of the electric egg turners that you put in styrofoam hatchers. That way I don’t have to shift the eggs manually. Back when I didn’t have as many eggs though, I would put the eggs in an egg carton, point side down, and raise one end of the carton with a book or something. Then I would come move the book to the other end. And again before bed I would shift it back. Then the next morning I would start the process over by shifting to the opposite side. By doing an odd number of shifts during the day, you are alternating which end of the carton is raised each night. I hatch weekly normally so all my eggs are 7 days old or less. If however I was holding eggs for more than a week for hatching, I would keep them no more than 10 days to ensure they’re fresh and have the highest likelihood of hatching.
@@ElbonMillFarm Thank you. My first attempt last year was such a dismal failure that I didn't dare try it again...I had 1 dozen eggs and only 3 hatched...2 males and 1 female. Hopefully this time is better. I would be thrilled with a 50% hatch rate.
@@ElbonMillFarm Just a quick update...it is now day #14. I started with 54 eggs in the incubator. I candled them just a few minutes ago. Out of 54 eggs, 53 were showing development, 1 not fertilized. 4 days from now I will remove from egg turner trays and put them into lockdown. Here's hoping for the best.
I enjoyed this video. I haven't incubated eggs for over 10 years now, but am getting set back up to start again. I watched it to learn the proper way to clean eggs for incubation. I was surprised to find that I have always wash my eggs exactly the same way with both hands and warm water. 😆 What I learned most valuable is the peroxide. I thought I had to buy some expensive egg wash. Glad to learn I was wrong there. In the past my hatch rate was low and now I believe I know why, no peroxide. I always sanitized the bator but not the eggs.. Looking back at records, I lost most at about 14 days in. Now I know it was bacterial; death. I have 1 question, I know to use warm water for washing, but do you warm the peroxide at all or do you want it to be cooler in order to the egg to pull some in? I look forward to your response. Thanks again!, Next up, I'm watching your little scrubber video.. Tom
How exciting that you’re getting back into it! Hatching is so much fun 😊 I use room temperature peroxide. So yes it’s cooler than the water I wash in. Some of the poultry studies have shown that the peroxide getting into the egg itself helps with salmonella. Since I know children will often be holding babies I hatch, I want to do whatever I can to bring down the salmonella risk. Good luck with your hatches! I hope you have better hatch rates this time around 😊
It depends on the breed of the chick. They can go anywhere from a couple dollars each for the more common breeds, to hundreds of dollars each for the more rare breeds. Mine run from $3-25 each.
Turkey poults go for more than chicks around here, but I’m not sure how much more. Usually it just depends on how many people are hatching turkeys. This year though with many people trying to grow their own food, you might get a bit more. I’d search your local farm pages and see what other people are selling poults for to get an idea.
This is what I incubate in, and then I use the 1550 for hatching. incubatorwarehouse.com/catalog/product/view/_ignore_category/1/id/885/s/gqf-classic-sportsman-cabinet-incubator/
The amount of eggs I didn’t incubate because of this silly advise 🤦🏻♀️ I’m incubating and decided to experiment for myself, the ones I washed are the first hatching today! Let’s hope all goes well 🙏🏼
+Elle luna I’m so excited for you! Hatch day is the best! I haven’t started yet for the year, cuz my eggs are still freezing 🥶 Let me know how your hatch goes, fingers crossed for you 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼
I collect eggs for my incubator from 8 or 9 hens of different breeds and sizes. These eggs hatch anywhere from 19 to 24 days in the incubator. Today is day 21 and I already have 10 chicks walking around and 35 eggs in the incubator. My dilemma is, how to get these chicks out before they starve to death without violating the “LOCKDOWN” rule. Last month, I had a similar situation, and I opened the incubator on day 21 to get 6 chicks out and I ended up with 21 “SHRINK WRAPPED” dead chicks stuck in their eggs. Any suggestions?
So I actually don’t worry too much about opening mine. I will move quickly though. So I usually get a basket ready for the chicks I’m removing along with a spray bottle of warm water. I quickly grab the hatched chicks and put them in the basket then mist the remaining eggs and close it back up.
Another question (sorry). I just bought an incubator and put my first set of eggs in there. (I am a rookie, if you can't tell :) ) I did not know about disinfecting the eggs so I did not. Today is day 10 is it too late to disinfect? Should I just let this batch go? or can I disinfect them now very gently of course, skipping the washing in the sink and maybe just use a soft cloth?
I’d let this batch go, and track your success rate. Then you’ll have something to compare to with sanitized eggs. Good luck with your hatch! They’re so much fun! 😊
Great video! But hahahah, when I hear red ring of death I think of kids going mad because their Xbox 360 got the red ring of death. That was a big deal in 2010 hahaha.
I have a question. I have a lot of free range chickens and they do a good job hiding their nest. After the chicks hatch, usually there are 3-4 eggs that have not hatched and a couple that the chicks is halfway thru but cannot break loose. What should I do? should I put all the unhatched eggs and halfway hatched eggs into my incubator? or let nature do the Darwinism?
Depends on you personally. I’m a softie, so if I find them still alive I will always try to save them. I don’t hatch them, but I will put them in the hatcher and give them time to hatch.
@@ElbonMillFarm Thanks. I am a softie, I cannot watch any animal die and I love chicks. I put the 2 unhatched and 2 half hatched ones in the incubator. One of the half hatched ones died within minutes but the other one is alive and kicking. The two eggs are still in there but I don't think they are alive.
+Ray McCarty I haven’t done quail yet, but I personally would wash and sanitize any type of egg I was putting into a clean incubator. I’ve done chickens, guineas, turkeys, ducks, and peafowl this way. The only time I don’t wash and sanitize hatching eggs is if they’re going under a broody hen, because that isn’t a sterile environment so I let nature do it’s thing there. Good luck on your quail!! They’re on our list we just haven’t gotten around to them yet 😬
@@ElbonMillFarm Great results so far! Quail were high hatch rate, and showgirl chicks were 14 out of 15 with one not being fertilized. Ducks start hatching tomorrow.
+John Dowd sorry, comments haven’t been showing up for me for some reason. 🤦🏻♀️ No, this is how I do all my eggs and how I’ve done them for I think 6 years now. And I put 96 in the incubator every week, so it’s not like I only do a couple hatches a year and just get lucky with my results. This method works for me, and is also similar to the method used by large hatcheries. I will say, in the Facebook hatching groups I’m in, a lot of people seem to be having terrible hatches this year. Nobody seem to have come up with a reason why yet though. Sorry you had a terrible hatch, fingers crossed your hatchrates improve regardless of the method you use!
Wtf. YOU SHOULD NOT WASH THEM. Obviously, you just wanted to do it differently. Lol keep adding that bacteria... maybe educate yourself on infection control love. This is funny as tho.
Sir, that’s the exact same reaction I had 9 years ago when it was first suggested to me. But the person told me to do my own research before being dismissive. After reading published studies and finding out that’s exactly how the big hatcheries do it, I decided to try it for myself. Turns out it did improve my hatch rate. 🤷🏻♀️ So my advice would be the same to you, perhaps actually do some research and look at the peer reviewed science and test it for yourself before dismissing it. One word of warning though, this only works if you actually clean your incubators. If you run dirty incubators and allow bacteria to grow in them, or touch them with your dirty hands, it can definitely have an effect. Things have to be sanitary. But obviously you should do what works best for you. 😊
Why are you shouting? It's very simple, if you are so convinced that this method is wrong then do a batch, and prove to yourself this is the case, before going off half cocked with ill conceived dogma, and no actual experience, which quite frankly is bigotry that I find offensive. This woman's business is obviously a commercial (albeit modest) endeavour, and all she has done is shared her experiences, and lessons learned on her journey, none of which btw are news to the big commercial producers. For this alone she should be applauded not criticised. I have a heritage, multi purpose breed flock, bred over a 100yrs years ago to suit my local environment (Australia, not a particularly good place for european type chickens) and struggled to get a 50% hatch rate, which I put down to it being "heritage" Yes I cleaned and bleached my incubators after every hatch, even left them out in our ridiculous sun, which will kill a human if given half the chance. Admittedly not all the eggs were "spotless" but certainly not dirty, and I had viewed countless "happy homestead" vid's about NOT! washing/scrubbing, bloom destruction, bacterial contamination,blah, blah, blah, when I came upon this vid by pure chance. Unlike you sir, I am open to alternative thinking, and my thought was "why not?" Not "Oh the holy grail" or "the stupid woman hasn't got a clue" more a case of give it a go, see what happens, and THEN! have an opinion, I'm losing 50% anyway, so if it's a total bust then so be it, and it's not the end of the world. So, here I am, almost 2yrs on, following her sage advice and getting an 80-85% hatch rate, more than a 50% increase, not perfect, but then whatever is? For anyone reading this who is convinced that the 1000 youtube vid's you've seen are correct and this woman is nuts, I can only say "give it a go" what do you have to lose?
I've worked on egg production farms. We ran the eggs through scalding hot chlorinated washers then dipped in peroxide. Then they were stored in a refrigerated room until they were shipped out...all things we're told not to do before incubating eggs.
We'd actually get in trouble for sending unwashed eggs, even if they appeared to be clean.
We got averages of 98.99% hatch rates.
One thing I'm glad you mentioned is creating a sterile environment. Making sure you're handling with clean hands and moving to a sanitized incubator makes a big difference!
I subscribed simply because I respect individuals who "Question," everything and everyone. Ty.
+Douglas Dishroon thank you for subscribing! Questioning things has certainly given me some great results! 😊
Just curious.. this is a weird question but in nature will the hen choose the cleanest eggs to sit on to hatch her chicks? I mean most nests aren’t sterile. I just got some eggs from my neighbor to put in the incubator and to be honest they weren’t very clean but I didn’t wash or even rub them before I put them in my brand new incubator because I had heard that it would take the bloom off of them. They have been in the incubator for 24 hours. Are the ruined? Should I throw them away and try to get super clean eggs? They do have some poop on them I think or maybe it’s just dirt. I can’t tell.
What does lock down mean? This will be my first hatching.
I agree. To play devils advocate...by washing the eggs are we allowing chickens who are less disease resistant to reproduce making them more susceptible to things like avian flu? Seems like messing with evolution is not the best strategy long term.
You are a wealth of knowledge! I am just beginning, and have seen other videos, but yours is very comprehensive, and practical. Nice job!
Thank you. I've been debating on cleaning eggs first. I'm just now learning to incubate. Subscribed.
Hi, thanks for the informative video. I have been reading about disinfecting the eggs and this is the only video I have seen that shows
a step by step simple process. THANK YOU.
Welcome! 😊
@@ElbonMillFarm should I clean eggs that have been under my broody hen for 2 weeks? (there are 2 broken eggs in the nest and they have egg on the outside)
awesome info, thanks for a real down to earth talk on prepping hatching eggs. Thank you very much.
Per our conversation I am absolutely going to try this the next batch!!! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing. I just got 2 incubators I am getting ready to hatch.
Good luck with your hatching! It’s so much fun! 😊
Thank you for taking the time to make this video!
+Kerrigan Skelly You’re so welcome! Hope it was helpful! 😊
Where do you find the thing you are putting the clean eggs to dry on?
It's the truth I use to spray mine with half water half peroxide mixture this highly increased my hatch rate. This year I didn't do peroxide not good hatch rates . Thank you
Great information 😊
Muchas gracias por la explicacion, cuantos huevos pueden eclosionar luego de una limpieza con peroxido? Cual es el porcentaje de eclosion? Tiene algun video del resultado final? Saludos desde Ecuador
Great video. Thanks for sharing.
Cannot find your video on how to sterilize your incubator. Did you do one yet?
+Lily of Vallie Sorry, I have not yet! I need to get one done.
@@ElbonMillFarm have you done one? :) can you tell me quickly how you sterilize your incubator please? I have eggs coming tomorrow! Thank you!!!
@@hannahdivic28 sorry haven’t had time to do the video yet 🙁 But I spray them out good, scrub them with a toothbrush, spray them with peroxide, and let them dry in the sun. Hope I responded before you had to sterilize. 🤞🏼
@@ElbonMillFarm what do you think the difference is between a 10% bleach solution and the peroxide? I can’t decide on which to use 😬
@@hannahdivic28 I like the peroxide simply because it doesn’t leave a strong smell and it’s what I wash my eggs in. But I’m sure bleach would work too.
Thank you. This is my first attempt. The eggs I was given to incubate were very pooped on... no way was I feeling comfortable about hatching them this dirty bloom or no bloom!
I'll let you know how it goes... loved how fluid you were... telling me you knew what you were talking about!
Good luck with your hatch! Definitely let me know how it goes for you 😊That’s the best part about washing and sanitizing the eggs, it allows you to hatch eggs you might not be able to hatch otherwise.
How did the eggs hatch?
Very helpful video
I was just watching a video that suggested Listerine mixed half and half with water for quail eggs. I hatch my quail eggs as is til now, but trying to find a better yield for next time, good info!
I’ve never heard the listerine before! But it makes sense.
so you are rolling the eggs straight in that 6% peroxide straight from the bottle ???
At 3:15 time of your clip, did you say you USE WARM WATER to clean the eggs instead of COLD water because the latter (cold water) opens pores and let dirt to enter? All I thought is that all things if not most expand when exposed to heat and contract when its cold. So, chicken egg shell pores is an exception. Am I correct in my understanding of your explanation, Madam? I am getting some eggs ready for hatching too but I never tried sanitizing or disinfecting them. Thank you.
I try to use water just a bit warmer than the eggs themselves. Cold water let’s the stuff inside the egg shrink and it can suck the bacteria in, whereas warm water causes the stuff in the egg to expand keeping the bacteria on the outside the shell from being able to come in. Or at least that’s how it was explained to me and what seems to work for me.
I was thinking the same. It is know fact that the hot water opens up the pores and cold water closes the pores. In general heat is opening up pores ( that's why we sweat) and cold closes pores. After reading your explanation I think you just mixed up the meanings. So the cold water actually shrinks the pores of the egg shell and bacteria can get in, and warm water will open up the pores of the shell and not let bacteria through.
90 degrees
@@OlgaFedorovna it's not about the opening of the pores, it's about the egg inside the shell. When the temp of the water is cold, the egg inside shrinks and allows for that dirty water on the outside to soak into the egg. With the water being a little bit warmer than the egg, the egg stays full size in there and doesn't allow for more water absorption.
OK I just pulled a bunch of eggs this morning and I am going to wash them and use peroxide. So what kind of environment do you store the eggs while you're waiting to fill up the incubator? Can I store them in a room type environment or is it better to put them in the sanitized incubator even though I am not starting for at least a few more days. Appreciate the knowledge you are sharing here.
What is the reasoning for wanting the duck eggs to be darker? I have 4 laying ducks, and all of their eggs are light white.
It’s just part of the Cayuga duck standard. They’re known for their grey-black eggs. But some people don’t like the way they look.
Cool video thanks from France
sold...i am so doing this! thanks so much:)
+Erica Worhatch you’re welcome and good luck! ☺️
It worked!!!
Yay!!
Thanks for this informative video.
Subscribed
I am also clean my hatching eggs ..
Love from india ..
Kamthe poultry and hatchery..
Great video. I just sanitized my eggs using this method and placed them in the Little Giant Incubator. We'll see......... 21 days!!!!!! thx!
Good luck!! Let me know how your hatch goes 😊
What breeds do you hatch?
Currently I hatch a large fowl chicken cross, a bantam chicken cross, and coturnix quail. In the past I’ve hatched ducks, peacocks, turkeys, guineas, and 8 different breeds of chickens.
@@ElbonMillFarm what is the breed of the large fowl chicken cross called?
I call them Zombie Aflockalypsers. 😂
@@ElbonMillFarm oh ok 🤣
So they are your own creation then! Interesting!
with Cayuga, you want to keep or full the darkest ?
If you’re breeding to the standard you’re going to want the darker eggs since they’re known for their black eggs. And I’m using regular peroxide from Walmart and just making sure all sides of the eggs are covered in it.
Just before putting it in incubator or just after it lays egg... to be cleaned... ?? When its ideal??
I wash mine right before I put them in the incubator. I hatch weekly, so I collect eggs for a week at a time. I store them in a cool room of my house in egg turners. Then once a week I wash and put them in the incubator.
@@ElbonMillFarm Do you allow the eggs to dry or you just put in the incubator immediately ? In addition, please how do you measure the percentage of hydrogen peroxide you use to clean the eggs after washing with warm water? I do wish to get your email. Thank you
I put them in the incubator as soon as I’m done cleaning each tray. And the percentage of peroxide I use is determined by the bottle I buy from the store. I use it straight out of the bottle and the stores around here sell 3%
Thanks for the video, do clean wipe the egg when it starts fizzing & what is the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide you are using
I use 3% hydrogen peroxide because it’s what my pharmacy carries. And I wash my eggs first so there isn’t usually any fizzing by the time I do the peroxide. Then I let them air dry. Hope that helps!
@@ElbonMillFarm I thought in the video, you used 6% hydrogen peroxide. And put them in the incubator right after?
The studies are done with 6% peroxide. Most the time I can only get 3%. And sorry, that was confusing, I don’t really let them dry totally, but I have to carry them over carpet. So I let them air dry while I wash them all so they don’t drip and ruin the carpet, but they’re basically straight in. I’m not leaving them sit on the counter to dry for hours, just long enough so peroxide isn’t dripping everywhere. Hope that’s less confusing 😊
@@ElbonMillFarm this is helpful. I just tried your method today, hope it helps the dirty eggs that I got a couple of days ago
@@Jndlove good luck! I hope you have a great hatch! 😊
Thank you for the information. What percent of Hydrogen peroxide do you think works best? Is 3% low?
Yeah, I just get the normal peroxide from the store. I do know the poultry studies were done with a higher percentage, but I just grab what’s easiest for me. 😊
Hi I’ve got a mini intelligent incubator not the best I know but the directions say put it on 38 degrees until lock down them turn it down to 37 .5. Could you give me any advice on this please. Thanks in advance debra
What state you from?
great video, where can I get those kind of egg trays?
Thanks! The ones I have, I purchased from Strombergs. They come in different sizes too. These blue ones hold my chicken eggs easily, but larger duck eggs are a tight fit, and small bantam eggs can fall through.
www.strombergschickens.com/Universal-Egg-Racks
We use 3% hydrogen peroxide to wipe the eggs down before putting them in the incubator and our hatch rate went up.
after washing with peroxide do you have any exploders?
I actually don’t have exploders very often. When I do have one go rotten, I can usually smell it before it gets to the exploding point because they have a crack that the smell is coming from.
Is it same for broody hen or it's alright to not clean the egges with a broody hen?
No. Eggs left under a broody hen are exposed to bacteria unlike eggs hatched in a sterile incubator. So they need to keep the bloom or cuticle as a protective barrier to bacteria. This only works for eggs in sterile environments.
@@ElbonMillFarm is there any whatsapp group i could join bout chikens ?
This is new to us we put some dirty eggs in the incubator 2 days ago would you think I should take them out clean them then put them back in? I would really appreciate your input.
You can. Just make sure you clean and sanitize the incubator before putting the clean eggs back in it.
Thanks! That’s what I’m going to do.
Goog luck! Let me know how your hatch goes! 😊
@@ElbonMillFarm 👍🏻
These were eggs we bought and they came to us dirty, is that the usual thing to ship dirty eggs.
Awesome info, thanks! Subscribed
Thanks! 😊
Hydrogen peroxide is a fantastic disinfectant especially when youre disinfecting fragile things. It’s my go to disinfectant when doing tissue culture. With tissue culture, it’s vital to completely sterilize plant tissue without killing the plant tissue. Peroxide has always proven to be the least invasive but in my experience, also the most effective.
Yes! I use it for mold on bulbs and seedlings too 😊
By the way I have 10 laying hens and 1 rooster all White Leghorn. My incubator is one of those yellow ones that turns the eggs for you and I think it holds 120 chicken eggs...but I plan to just try with about 40 or 50 eggs since we have already collected enough eggs for eating. I too am looking forward to your response.
So what I do is store hatching eggs in a cool room of my house, point side down, and I shift the eggs multiple times per day until I’m ready to incubate. Because I hatch a large number of eggs, I actually use two of the electric egg turners that you put in styrofoam hatchers. That way I don’t have to shift the eggs manually. Back when I didn’t have as many eggs though, I would put the eggs in an egg carton, point side down, and raise one end of the carton with a book or something. Then I would come move the book to the other end. And again before bed I would shift it back. Then the next morning I would start the process over by shifting to the opposite side. By doing an odd number of shifts during the day, you are alternating which end of the carton is raised each night. I hatch weekly normally so all my eggs are 7 days old or less. If however I was holding eggs for more than a week for hatching, I would keep them no more than 10 days to ensure they’re fresh and have the highest likelihood of hatching.
@@ElbonMillFarm Thank you. My first attempt last year was such a dismal failure that I didn't dare try it again...I had 1 dozen eggs and only 3 hatched...2 males and 1 female. Hopefully this time is better. I would be thrilled with a 50% hatch rate.
@@elliottspence7929 good luck!! Hope you get a great hatchrate this time.
@@ElbonMillFarm Just a quick update...it is now day #14. I started with 54 eggs in the incubator. I candled them just a few minutes ago. Out of 54 eggs, 53 were showing development, 1 not fertilized. 4 days from now I will remove from egg turner trays and put them into lockdown. Here's hoping for the best.
@@elliottspence7929 that’s awesome!! I hope you have a great hatch!
Where is your video on cleaning Styrofoam incubator?
I enjoyed this video.
I haven't incubated eggs for over 10 years now, but am getting set back up to start again.
I watched it to learn the proper way to clean eggs for incubation. I was surprised to find that I have always wash my eggs exactly the same way with both hands and warm water. 😆 What I learned most valuable is the peroxide. I thought I had to buy some expensive egg wash. Glad to learn I was wrong there.
In the past my hatch rate was low and now I believe I know why, no peroxide. I always sanitized the bator but not the eggs.. Looking back at records, I lost most at about 14 days in. Now I know it was bacterial; death.
I have 1 question, I know to use warm water for washing, but do you warm the peroxide at all or do you want it to be cooler in order to the egg to pull some in?
I look forward to your response. Thanks again!, Next up, I'm watching your little scrubber video..
Tom
How exciting that you’re getting back into it! Hatching is so much fun 😊
I use room temperature peroxide. So yes it’s cooler than the water I wash in. Some of the poultry studies have shown that the peroxide getting into the egg itself helps with salmonella. Since I know children will often be holding babies I hatch, I want to do whatever I can to bring down the salmonella risk.
Good luck with your hatches! I hope you have better hatch rates this time around 😊
@@ElbonMillFarm That's what I did, I have 88 eggs baking in the incubator now.
Thanks!
Do you put the eggs strait in the incubater
+Tyler Simpkins I put them straight in.
i cant wait to try this😁
How long do I leave them before putting them in the incubator
+rubi-red S,Fran I put them straight into the incubator.
@@ElbonMillFarm thank you so much!
+rubi-red S,Fran welcome! Good luck on your hatch 😊
how much do chicks sell for??
It depends on the breed of the chick. They can go anywhere from a couple dollars each for the more common breeds, to hundreds of dollars each for the more rare breeds. Mine run from $3-25 each.
Thank you @@ElbonMillFarm how much do you think mottled black would go for? (black spanish royal palm mix)
Turkey poults go for more than chicks around here, but I’m not sure how much more. Usually it just depends on how many people are hatching turkeys. This year though with many people trying to grow their own food, you might get a bit more. I’d search your local farm pages and see what other people are selling poults for to get an idea.
What kind of incubator do you use ?
This is what I incubate in, and then I use the 1550 for hatching.
incubatorwarehouse.com/catalog/product/view/_ignore_category/1/id/885/s/gqf-classic-sportsman-cabinet-incubator/
The amount of eggs I didn’t incubate because of this silly advise 🤦🏻♀️ I’m incubating and decided to experiment for myself, the ones I washed are the first hatching today! Let’s hope all goes well 🙏🏼
+Elle luna I’m so excited for you! Hatch day is the best! I haven’t started yet for the year, cuz my eggs are still freezing 🥶 Let me know how your hatch goes, fingers crossed for you 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼
+Elle luna just checking to see how your hatch went! Hope it was a good one! 😊
I collect eggs for my incubator from 8 or 9 hens of different breeds and sizes. These eggs hatch anywhere from 19 to 24 days in the incubator. Today is day 21 and I already have 10 chicks walking around and 35 eggs in the incubator. My dilemma is, how to get these chicks out before they starve to death without violating the “LOCKDOWN” rule. Last month, I had a similar situation, and I opened the incubator on day 21 to get 6 chicks out and I ended up with 21 “SHRINK WRAPPED” dead chicks stuck in their eggs. Any suggestions?
So I actually don’t worry too much about opening mine. I will move quickly though. So I usually get a basket ready for the chicks I’m removing along with a spray bottle of warm water. I quickly grab the hatched chicks and put them in the basket then mist the remaining eggs and close it back up.
@@ElbonMillFarm Thanks. Great suggestion.
You’re welcome! Good luck with the rest of your hatch 😊
Another question (sorry). I just bought an incubator and put my first set of eggs in there. (I am a rookie, if you can't tell :) ) I did not know about disinfecting the eggs so I did not. Today is day 10 is it too late to disinfect? Should I just let this batch go? or can I disinfect them now very gently of course, skipping the washing in the sink and maybe just use a soft cloth?
I’d let this batch go, and track your success rate. Then you’ll have something to compare to with sanitized eggs. Good luck with your hatch! They’re so much fun! 😊
@@ElbonMillFarm Thanks. I will do so. You are awesome.
+Hamid Seifi 😊
What do you use to sterilize your incubator?
I usually use peroxide or bleach, but I recently purchased Virkon to use.
@@ElbonMillFarm ok thanks!
Welcome!
I sprayed hydrogen peroxide in quail egg and white fizz started to foarm in the egg shell. Is it nirmal?
If there’s bacteria on the shell then the peroxide will foam yes.
@@ElbonMillFarm thank you
You’re welcome! ☺️
Great video! But hahahah, when I hear red ring of death I think of kids going mad because their Xbox 360 got the red ring of death. That was a big deal in 2010 hahaha.
Ha!! Right?! I forgot all about that!
Wonderful video!! Thanks for all the info
I have a question. I have a lot of free range chickens and they do a good job hiding their nest. After the chicks hatch, usually there are 3-4 eggs that have not hatched and a couple that the chicks is halfway thru but cannot break loose. What should I do? should I put all the unhatched eggs and halfway hatched eggs into my incubator? or let nature do the Darwinism?
Depends on you personally. I’m a softie, so if I find them still alive I will always try to save them. I don’t hatch them, but I will put them in the hatcher and give them time to hatch.
@@ElbonMillFarm Thanks. I am a softie, I cannot watch any animal die and I love chicks. I put the 2 unhatched and 2 half hatched ones in the incubator. One of the half hatched ones died within minutes but the other one is alive and kicking. The two eggs are still in there but I don't think they are alive.
+Hamid Seifi if you take a flashlight and shine into the fat side of the egg, you may be able to see if the ones still in the egg are moving.
Do you recommend this for quail eggs as well? I just received a Borotto incubator and want to start out right.
+Ray McCarty I haven’t done quail yet, but I personally would wash and sanitize any type of egg I was putting into a clean incubator. I’ve done chickens, guineas, turkeys, ducks, and peafowl this way. The only time I don’t wash and sanitize hatching eggs is if they’re going under a broody hen, because that isn’t a sterile environment so I let nature do it’s thing there.
Good luck on your quail!! They’re on our list we just haven’t gotten around to them yet 😬
@@ElbonMillFarm Great results so far!
Quail were high hatch rate, and showgirl chicks were 14 out of 15 with one not being fertilized. Ducks start hatching tomorrow.
Hydrogen peroxide contains oxigen which is absorbed into the egg
I tried the hydro method..got 30%..is this I joke on us?
+John Dowd sorry, comments haven’t been showing up for me for some reason. 🤦🏻♀️ No, this is how I do all my eggs and how I’ve done them for I think 6 years now. And I put 96 in the incubator every week, so it’s not like I only do a couple hatches a year and just get lucky with my results. This method works for me, and is also similar to the method used by large hatcheries.
I will say, in the Facebook hatching groups I’m in, a lot of people seem to be having terrible hatches this year. Nobody seem to have come up with a reason why yet though.
Sorry you had a terrible hatch, fingers crossed your hatchrates improve regardless of the method you use!
Sexy farm girl... love the vids...
Wtf. YOU SHOULD NOT WASH THEM. Obviously, you just wanted to do it differently. Lol keep adding that bacteria... maybe educate yourself on infection control love. This is funny as tho.
Sir, that’s the exact same reaction I had 9 years ago when it was first suggested to me. But the person told me to do my own research before being dismissive. After reading published studies and finding out that’s exactly how the big hatcheries do it, I decided to try it for myself. Turns out it did improve my hatch rate. 🤷🏻♀️
So my advice would be the same to you, perhaps actually do some research and look at the peer reviewed science and test it for yourself before dismissing it.
One word of warning though, this only works if you actually clean your incubators. If you run dirty incubators and allow bacteria to grow in them, or touch them with your dirty hands, it can definitely have an effect. Things have to be sanitary.
But obviously you should do what works best for you. 😊
Why are you shouting?
It's very simple, if you are so convinced that this method is wrong then do a batch, and prove to yourself this is the case, before going off half cocked with ill conceived dogma, and no actual experience, which quite frankly is bigotry that I find offensive.
This woman's business is obviously a commercial (albeit modest) endeavour, and all she has done is shared her experiences, and lessons learned on her journey, none of which btw are news to the big commercial producers.
For this alone she should be applauded not criticised.
I have a heritage, multi purpose breed flock, bred over a 100yrs years ago to suit my local environment (Australia, not a particularly good place for european type chickens) and struggled to get a 50% hatch rate, which I put down to it being "heritage" Yes I cleaned and bleached my incubators after every hatch, even left them out in our ridiculous sun, which will kill a human if given half the chance.
Admittedly not all the eggs were "spotless" but certainly not dirty, and I had viewed countless "happy homestead" vid's about NOT! washing/scrubbing, bloom destruction, bacterial contamination,blah, blah, blah, when I came upon this vid by pure chance.
Unlike you sir, I am open to alternative thinking, and my thought was "why not?"
Not "Oh the holy grail" or "the stupid woman hasn't got a clue" more a case of give it a go, see what happens, and THEN! have an opinion, I'm losing 50% anyway, so if it's a total bust then so be it, and it's not the end of the world.
So, here I am, almost 2yrs on, following her sage advice and getting an 80-85% hatch rate, more than a 50% increase, not perfect, but then whatever is?
For anyone reading this who is convinced that the 1000 youtube vid's you've seen are correct and this woman is nuts, I can only say "give it a go" what do you have to lose?
@mrzuluboii9777
What type of incubator do you use?
I incubate in a GQF 1202E Sportsman cabinet incubator and I hatch in a GQF 1550 hatcher.