Washing Eggs?

[Tropical Torts]

I have noticed on several threads tht the newly laid eggs seem to be washed after being removed from the ground. Is this necessary? I have a redfoot laying as I type this so I would like to know everybodys opinions on this.

Thanks!

 

[Yvonne G]

When I was raising bantum ducks, the consensus of opinion was to leave the coating that is put on the egg during the laying process, as it protects the egg from absorbing bad stuff (real scientific, I know). So I've always carried this over to the tortoise eggs too. However, tortoise eggs get quite dirty, being placed in a dirt hole, and I HAVE washed off some of them. But, I am notoriously bad at hatching eggs, so wait for more opinions before you believe what I say.

 

[kimber_lee_314]

I have never washed any. The dirt dries eventually and then I lightly brush it off if I feel like it, but it's not necessary.

 

[Tom]

I wipe the majority of the loose dirt off as I extract them from the nest hole, but then leave them dirty. After they hatch, I put the egg shell that they came out of, into the brooder box with them, dirt and all. Most of the time they eat the calcified portion of the egg shell while in the brooder box. My females always deposit a little feces into the nest. I think that the babies from eggs incubated in the ground (like in the wild) hatch and then eat their egg shell, the Mom's poop and some dirt. I have some babies right now that hatched two weeks ago. They have been off the vermiculite in the incubator for around 16 days now. There were vermiculite particles in the left over poopy soak water today. I think the dirt and the mother's feces "seed" the digestive tract of these brand new hatchlings.

 

[Katherine]

I have never raised redfoots but I do usually wash my sulcata eggs. While it is definitely not necessary to wash them I like to candle them 3-4 times during incubation and that's hard to do with a filthy egg. I don't know about your tortoises but mine urinate repeatedly into their nest site to aide them in digging deeply in unfavorable or firm soil.
I used to be paranoid and gently dust dried dirt with a large makeup brush; but now realize my caution was a bit ridiculous/unfounded. I currently run them under the faucet, gently blot or air dry and then incubate.
In regards to Yvonnes observation in the duck eggs; my females definitely leave a mucous coat on freshly laid eggs and I find that running the eggs under a warm gentle faucet stream does not seem to remove this layer ( they are still 'slimey' just not muddy anymore ). The mucous coating dries up within the first 48hours but I always leave it on there; no reason not to : )

 

[dmmj]

With the eggs being porous wouldn't washing them have them absorb water and potentially drown the fetus?

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

I wipe the excess dirt off and place them into the incubator. I never fully clean them. Ours look very clean and white because I try to catch them before they hit the ground.

 

[Tim/Robin]

I wash all of mine. They are clean going in the incubator. I have never had any issues that I can relate to cleaning them. It is simply my preference. I candle them all throughout the incubation process. I am rather nosey that way!!

 

[N2TORTS]

I wash my redfoot eggs too.... gently and just for a second to remove mud and also the sticky goo that is oh so slightly present on the egg itself.

 

[CGKeith]

I've never washed any. Just brushed the dirt off with my fingers.

I do like to candle them, so I may just rinse the next clutch and see how it goes.

 

[matt41gb]

I wash all of mine under the faucet. I mark them with a pencil and put them in the incubator. I've never had any problems with it.

-Matt

 

[bigred]

Redfoot eggs are born in the mud so im sure a little dirt is not going to hurt anything. My first 13 eggs I cleaned pretty good and 10 of them hatched. I have 9 more in the incubator that I did not clean very well. The dirt does dry out and fall off the top of the egg, I dont really think it matters that much. Im waiting to see how these little ones look because they are from a female that has not laid before. 3 and 1/2 months in the incubator so -------- pretty soon

 

[dmmj]

10 out of 13 is a pretty good hatch rate, was that her first clutch laid?

 

[bigred]

10 out of 13 is a pretty good hatch rate, was that her first clutch laid?

Yes that was her first 3 clutches that started on xmas eve a year ago. They were from my female bigred and she is full of eggs again. She has been digging but no eggs yet

 

[Geochelone_Carbonaria]

I wash my eggs too, just dip them quickly in lukewarm water to get rid of the mud and then put them in the incubator...