Float Testing, Checking Egg Viability For Late Or Overdue Hatching

Pics
A very strong light is recommended but even then about all you will see is the aircell. If it has internally pipped, you will be able to see it and if you look at it long enough you will see it move but that's not a good thing to do, cause it may drop the internal temperature of the egg too much and would likely weaken or kill the chick.

In any given hatch, 1/3 of the embryos will (dis) early on, 1/3 will (dis) midway through incubation and 1/3 will (dis) late or just before pipping or soon after pipping. Various reasons for the deaths are numberous, some are nutritional, sequencing of RNA and DNA misdirected, genetical, or environmental.
Exactly. I didn't want to have to test them at all, but they were all late. I wish I knew what killed them, probably something environmental in this case because they appeared beautifully developed to about 18-19 days and my chickens have excellent feed. I tried to candle a few on about day 15 while the mama was off the nest and all the ones I checked had an air cell and the rest was full of chick. I'll have a better setup next time and hopefully have success. Thank you for the input! 😊
 
I used this method as a neighbor told me about it. I had so many eggs! I bout 12 and then Bertha had her own eggs under her and Elly had eggs under her.

In the end I had at least 18 odd eggs in the Incubator. But I knew we boild the bought eggs at the start as the temp went wrong and it was a disaster. I did keep them just in case but didn;t give much hope. Ells eggs ended up in the incubator because she died so I didn;t know if they would be ok or not as they went cold? Anyhow Berthas eggs hatched on time 21 and 22 days. - So I was left with all these eggs! at 24 days we did the water test as we were afraid of exploding eggs. I ended up tossing 11 of the bought eggs. We opened them and nothing was inside them at all! 1 egg tried to hatch and died so We had 7 left 1 from the bought eggs that deffinately moved and 6 from Ellys nest but I think they got mixed up at that stage and I couldn;t figure If I tossed any of Ellys or not? anyhow I had those left. - so we watched them and decided well they looked like they may be doing something. On the 27 th day Blue was hatched/ 28th day just as I was going to bung the rest I found a pip and Omlet was Hatched.
4 eggs remained and I waited as they had deffinately moved on day 23 when we did the test. Sadly they never hatched and on day 30 we finally gave up and opened them. They were perfectly formed baby birds - I am not sure if we accidently drwoned them as they seemed wet - though I think at that stage they were probably wet from rotting.
We lost one chick through shrink wrap - the one that couldn;t get out of the shell. We saved two by intervineing so its hard to tell. One thing I do know the water test was accurate in every way. - The eggs that were duds had nothing in them and the rest had chicks inside. - we never got it wrong. I would deffinatly do that again if I had late hatchers!

Would be terrible to thow one away that was just late wouldn;t it! - I mean if I followed the advice on dumping at 24/25 days - Omlet and Blue would not be here at all! They were very very late and very weak. Now 8weeks old and doing well !

Some folk advised against this method but I think it works and is better than killing a chick because you thought it was a dud and was just a late bloomer!

Oesdog -
smile.png
ok. this is giving me some hope as its day 24 and we still have 6 eggs under her. I candled them today and can see smallish air sack but cannot hear/see movement. yesterday i certainly heard someone pipping inside an egg but today i can hear nothing. so Ive put them back under their momma and will wait. Might try floating test tomorrow if there is still no signs. thank you
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom