Float Testing, Checking Egg Viability For Late Or Overdue Hatching

[capper2013]

ok, followed the float test advice on 6 overdue eggs.
one was chirping and rolling around so it went back in the incubator.
all the others except 1 were in the viable range.
the last one sank like a submarine with a big hole in it.
I took it to be a dud, so in the interest of learning something I decided to open it up and see what went wrong. I opened it up on the air bubble end, to my surprise I saw a little beak opening and closing through the membrane.
the membrane was still in one piece although it looked a little tight, so I took the option to just open the membrane a little so it could breath. I then put damp tissue over the membrane to keep it moist (except for where the beak was now sticking through) then popped it back in the warm.

so my question is this, although it says sinkers are duds, sometimes they are not and worth checking anyhoo. does this happen often? if so why?

 

[dc3085]

Excuse me, Please dont take this wrong, but feb. 4th to today march 3rd is 27 days....floating eggs can give you an idea how fresh the egg is, or a easy way to detect movement inside. The egg floating only means there is air in the eggs, not that this is to taken for signs of life..... the only thing the float test can show you is if the egg wiggles while floating in the water. A chick inside has to move before the egg will wiggle.... check out this video from Moby...... only the egg that is moving are we sure has a living chick.....

Excuse me, Please dont take this wrong, but feb. 4th to today march 3rd is 27 days....floating eggs can give you an idea how fresh the egg is, or a easy way to detect movement inside. The egg floating only means there is air in the eggs, not that this is to taken for signs of life..... the only thing the float test can show you is if the egg wiggles while floating in the water. A chick inside has to move before the egg will wiggle.... check out this video from Moby...... only the egg that is moving are we sure has a living chick.....

Read this post by Fat Daddy

 

[capper2013]

Read this post by Fat Daddy

that totally makes sense. I had read the article on float testing and it said sinking means dead. I was quite shocked to see a little breathing chick in there when I opened it up.
the inner membrane has some real thick veins in it still so I covered the little beast in tissue and put it back. it is still alive and chirping now too.
the float test did show a moving chick in another egg which looked really amazing. thank you for showing me this dc3085, much appreciated.

capper2013
xx

 

[ACaskey]

My eggs are 4 days overdue,
I just tried this with all my eggs which all floated to the very top..
I cracked one open before I was about to throw it away and there was a living breathing little chick in there.
I quickly put it back in the incubator with all the other eggs!!
I'm so heartbroken

 

[crazymax02]

My eggs are almost 3 days overdue and I have 3 chicks out of 10 viable eggs...what should I do..open one up and check it or leave it for a couple more days?

 

[dc3085]

My eggs are 4 days overdue,
I just tried this with all my eggs which all floated to the very top..
I cracked one open before I was about to throw it away and there was a living breathing little chick in there.
I quickly put it back in the incubator with all the other eggs!!
I'm so heartbroken

Did you read the post by Fat Daddy that I quoted?

My eggs are almost 3 days overdue and I have 3 chicks out of 10 viable eggs...what should I do..open one up and check it or leave it for a couple more days?

Wait another day, if nothing hatches throw them out and start over. Something was wrong with your temp/humidity etc. Double check all your thermometers with two others.

Float testing will not tell you whether or not eggs will hatch, it will not even tell you if there is a live bird in the egg, only whether or not air is present within.

 

[ACaskey]

I saw it after the deed was done, unfortunately :/
Will know better next time.
First time incubating eggs

 

[BobDBirdDog]

Float testing is a proven method that has been around for a while and should not be dismissed as invalid due to an anomaly, by the inexperienced, nor with the lack of understanding to buoyancy.

Go crappie fishing using various split-shot/sinkers and floaters and you will start to understand this method...Just give me the crappie you catch!

 

[capper2013]

Float testing is a proven method that has been around for a while and should not be dismissed as invalid due to an anomaly, by the inexperienced, nor with the lack of understanding to buoyancy.

Go crappie fishing using various split-shot/sinkers and floaters and you will start to understand this method...Just give me the crappie you catch!

that sounds a bit pointed. sinking is sinking. when something says sinking eggs means dead eggs and the egg sinks, it would lead one to believe it to be dead. however it is not true. this has nothing to do with inexperience nor lack of understanding about buoyancy. I can tell the difference between floating and sinking, I am not the usual unicorn farmer that floats upon daisies and skips over rainbows. I am considered to be well educated within my peer group. to judge my knowledge of buoyancy based upon the message I had written is quite erroneous on your part.
I am inexperienced in chick rearing, that I admit to, however fishing for crappies (whatever they are, probably nothing to do with chick rearing) is not going to educate me upon what sinking means, that definition has remained with me since pre-nursery times.
the chick is doing fine by the way, it's wing feathers are developing really well.

 

[BobDBirdDog]

that sounds a bit pointed. sinking is sinking. when something says sinking eggs means dead eggs and the egg sinks, it would lead one to believe it to be dead. however it is not true. this has nothing to do with inexperience nor lack of understanding about buoyancy. I can tell the difference between floating and sinking, I am not the usual unicorn farmer that floats upon daisies and skips over rainbows. I am considered to be well educated within my peer group. to judge my knowledge of buoyancy based upon the message I had written is quite erroneous on your part.
I am inexperienced in chick rearing, that I admit to, however fishing for crappies (whatever they are, probably nothing to do with chick rearing) is not going to educate me upon what sinking means, that definition has remained with me since pre-nursery times.
the chick is doing fine by the way, it's wing feathers are developing really well.

I stand by my statement without regrets or apology..but just to note... my comment was an indirect statement,meaning it was not all about you in the first place, it was a general statement of fact.

However, Like the instructions JJ offered and you claimed to follow, You obviously did not grasp what my comment meant and failed see it for what it is; you are new to applying the float test method. Pardon me, but it does have everything to do with buoyancy, you are just not experienced enough in that particular task to realize that and fail to understand or interpret the relationships based on the results of performing the test. . Your error, not mine!

I too hold a degree but do not flaunt it as some means to boost my status or in hopes get others to cower at my mention of it. More so, I am humble and willing to help, not an arrogant fool that wants to bicker; I apply and share knowledge and the common sense that I have acquired from experience in all of its life long pursuit. In saying that, I am sorry you feel that you were being attacked and felt threatened enough to mention your status.

To the above I might now be guilty judgment and of error but I am content is considering I am correct in assessment.

I would like to end my reply to your misunderstanding by saying , I am happy to hear you had success and the chick is alive. Welcome to BYC, you will find much needed information here.