Can I clean dirty duck eggs to incubate them?

Question

Can I clean dirty duck eggs to incubate them?

Answer 1

Yes you can. But you have to be extremely careful with them as bacteria can get in and kill the embryo.  

Answer 2

You can clean them if you are very careful, by using a soft rag to light brush off any heavy dirt or poo.  Do not wash them.

Answer 3

If you can help it, I'd suggest avoiding cleaning them. The oils in your hands can block up the pores on the egg, cutting off the embryos oxygen supply.

Cleaning an egg also ruins a protective layer on it, which protects them from bacteria. If you clean the eggs, they will most likely get contaminated, and not hatch.

Leaving them as they are is fine, ducks have done it in the wild a million times over. If, when you candle them, the egg does not appear fertilised, and it's dirty, just remove it. Simple as that.