Eggs should be stored for at least 3 days before you incubate them. [2] X Research source If you’re worried about your eggs getting filthy in storage, close the lid on your egg carton or place some loose hay or paper over them. [3] X Research source If you’re worried about contaminating your clean eggs, you can always incubate your dirty eggs and clean eggs separately.
Alternatively, you can buff the shell with some ultra-fine sandpaper to remove any debris. However, this can crack and damage the shell, so work slowly and carefully if you go this route. [4] X Research source Never use cold or room temperature water for this. Hot water may damage the egg as well. Never use any cleaning solutions, soap, or chemicals. They’re just going to damage the egg.
The act of washing an egg doesn’t automatically make it unhatchable, but it can put the egg at risk.
Wash and dry your hands before turning the eggs to make sure you don’t accidentally get any germs on the egg shells. Sanitize the incubator and let it run for 2-3 days before you take your eggs out of storage. [7] X Research source Other than maintaining a stable temperature and humidity, you don’t need to do anything special to prepare the eggs for incubation. Just make sure you let the eggs warm up to room temperature (70–80 °F (21–27 °C)) and remove any cracked eggs right before you incubate them.
This is known as “candling” your eggs. If your white egg lights up or your brown egg has a red ring, toss it. It’s infertile and it won’t hatch. On top of that, if contamination caused the embryo to die, keeping it alongside your other eggs may put them at risk.
