Eggs can become rotten or explode due to the following reasons:

• Eggs become infected with infectious diseases from the parent flock (Salmonella bacteria).
• Wet and dirty bedding or laying nests leads to infections of the egg with bacteria (e.g. Pseudomonas, E.coli, etc.).
• Eggs have been wet prior to setting.
• Improper egg cleaning procedures
• a) Cleaning eggs in water which has a lower temperature than that of eggs
• b) Cleaning eggs with a disinfection solution that has been prepared incorrectly not following the manufacturer recommendations.
• High air humidity during egg storage.
• Contamination during storage. Activities like sweeping or spraying water on the floor of the egg storage area can deposit large amounts of bacteria on the eggs.
• Failure to clean incubators following an egg explosion leaves bacteria in the chamber that can contaminate other eggs.