Float Testing, Checking Egg Viability For Late Or Overdue Hatching

[kingmt]

You're talking Greek to me! "Photobucket"?

How about Google? If you know how to use it then look up Photobucket.

 

[SamSWIA]

My un-hatched eggs are 32-39 days old and all floated similar to this. What I'm gathering is that at this stage, there shouldn't be as much of an air sac since the chick should be hatching. I am thinking that this egg stopped producing part way through the cycle. Thoughts?

 

[sktlmt]

My un-hatched eggs are 32-39 days old and all floated similar to this. What I'm gathering is that at this stage, there shouldn't be as much of an air sac since the chick should be hatching. I am thinking that this egg stopped producing part way through the cycle. Thoughts?

Either that or they were not fertile to begin with. Best way to check development is to candle the eggs. I made a simple candler with a small can with a lid. I cut a piece of cardboard to fit in the bottom of can drove 3-4 nails thru the cardboard to hold a flashlight look for one with at least 75 lumens if you want to see any details. cut a hole in the lid that lines up with the flashlight and cover the lid with foil. Keep the hole clear. take the eggs into a dark room or closet turn on the flashlight and set eggs on the hole in the lid. It is fascinating.
What kind of eggs are you hatching? My chicken eggs hatch between 20-23 days.

 

[sktlmt]

This thread doesnt give me an option to post a pic. I will put the chick pic in my profile, if u want to look?

You can post a picture. In the bar above where you are typing you will 6 little rectangles the 5th rectangle has 4 symbols. The 1st one that looks like a mountain with a sun is the insert picture one. the one after is the insert video.

 

[SamSWIA]

Either that or they were not fertile to begin with. Best way to check development is to candle the eggs. I made a simple candler with a small can with a lid. I cut a piece of cardboard to fit in the bottom of can drove 3-4 nails thru the cardboard to hold a flashlight look for one with at least 75 lumens if you want to see any details. cut a hole in the lid that lines up with the flashlight and cover the lid with foil. Keep the hole clear. take the eggs into a dark room or closet turn on the flashlight and set eggs on the hole in the lid. It is fascinating.
What kind of eggs are you hatching? My chicken eggs hatch between 20-23 days.

Whoops, forgot to mention they're chicken. Thanks for the advice. I candled them, just with a flashlight. It's clear that they are fertile and something was developing... but I don't think so anymore. It has been too long by now, right?

 

[kingmt]

Yes. That thing is probably a bomb waiting to explode.

 

[sktlmt]

Whoops, forgot to mention they're chicken. Thanks for the advice. I candled them, just with a flashlight. It's clear that they are fertile and something was developing... but I don't think so anymore. It has been too long by now, right?

Yes pitch them out.

 

[SamSWIA]

Thanks, all. I'm getting rid of them today. I just got day-old chicks to replace them with

 

[Henapause]

This is great info however I have a question. I have eggs that I think are 4 days overdue. The whole clutch was unintentional. I had surgery and my son was supposed to be collecting eggs but didn't. The hen then went broody and we decided to let her hatch a clutch but this is completely new for us. Initially she had 9 eggs. She was sitting on them in the nest box and since I was unaware of the actual incubation time, I was unsure as to when they would begin hatching. 2 hatched out but when I found them they had died. We are in AZ so it's really hot right now and I assumed they succombed to the heat. I moved the hen and the remaining eggs inside and the next day another little chick hatched and is doing fine. I have 6 eggs left and one sunk when I did the float test. All the others floated with the right amount of the egg above the water line however there is no movement. No pipping and no peeping. HELP! How can I tell if there are live chicks inside? I've scanned the internet but can't find the answer to my question: What if you have a viable egg with no movement when you do the float test?

 

[dc3085]

Bill and I have probably said about half a million times on this thread that float testing is only a way to check the freshness of an egg, it is not an accurate way to check for signs of life. All float testing will tell you is the air sac in the egg is intact.