mold on eggs?

mpkds · 07-01-03, 06:14 AM

I have 8 eggs in a hovabator, 1 egg from the 1st clutch (laid on May 10th) has yellow stuff on top, I cleaned it off with vinegar and water (read this in a forum) but it came back. The same thing is on an egg from her second clutch (May 27th). I have seperated these from what looks to be the good egg but am not sure if this is mold or not and I can't seem to find a picture of mold on eggs anywhere. The eggs that seem to be bad are not growing the same way the "good" eggs are. Should I get rid of them? They are not dented, just a little yellow.

Alicewave · 07-01-03, 06:59 AM

I have one clutch that I'm still not sure if it's fertile or not that kinda has this. Kindof a thin yellow slime. It's not blue like mold but it hasn't gotten any worse so I haven't tried to clean it off. I had a moldy egg. It got blue fuzz and eventually turned REALLY smelly so I chucked it. I don't know what else to tell you but I'd hang onto them until they start to smell really awful just in case they decide to hatch.

Oh and hey, nice to see another New Englander here. I'm from Connecticut.

Blazin · 07-03-03, 11:02 PM

You could try using foot powder on them I have done this and it sometimes helps. One thing you need to be careful with is SPORES! Mold spores are tiny and can dislodge easily and start growing and multipling in other places. Usually if I see any mold I isolate the egg and wipe off any visible mold then apply small amount of Gold Bond medicated foot powder. This usually helps control the mold growth although you might have to repeat the treatments. Another thing be careful not to rotate the egg on its longitudanal axis. Hope this helps.

Stockwell · 07-04-03, 12:41 AM

Fertile eggs do not become covered with mould.
If you have massive mould growth you probably
have unhealthy or dead embryos. Tiny bits of mould sometimes happen on the ends, but only if the egg is poorly calcified, or if some organic matter has spilled on the shell.. There is little that can be done about heavy mould growth and removing it tends to only be temporary..
Eggs either make it or they don't.
Healthy parchment shell eggs from all herps are pretty much mould proof, if one considers the moist environment they are normally laid in.
If healthy herp eggs were sensitvie to mould there wouldn't be any herps hatching under leaves or in rotted out logs which are just full of moulds and fungi.
Research is actually beening done to determine what makes parchment shell eggs mould retardant.
It's always been somewhat of a mystery.

Questionable eggs can always be candled with a small penlight flashlight to see if there's life inside..Eveready makes nice little ones in black and white with a lamp that prodtrudes with a lens at the end ..These are great for egg candling and only cost 5 or 6 bucks at Walmart or Can. tire..
Put the light next to the egg,with the room light out, and if egg is at least
a few days old you should see red blood vessels in it if it's fertile...

Blazin · 07-04-03, 08:46 AM

Actually with regards to the above post. I have hatched out healthy animals from MOLDY eggs. Last year in particular a couple of corn eggs had some mold issues but I treated as stated above and everything worked out for the better.

mpkds · 07-04-03, 08:12 PM

thanks for the help, I'll keep the eggs in the hovabator. They don't smell and the color on them is yellow not the fuzzy blue and pick up some Gold Bond, just in case. I haven't tried candling them as I'm a little worried to handle them, so I'll just wait to see what hatches or doesn't. Thanks again.