Using water to tell if embryo is growing

[Dondo]

Good morning.
Quick question regarding growing embryo's. We have about nine eggs in an incubator due to a snake issue lately. They all have a very dense shell that is very difficult to candle through. The last couple of days the incubator has developed a real stink and I think I have a rotten egg in there. We were told about a method of checking on the vitality of an embryo by placing it into a bowl of water and if the egg moves, then you have a live chick in there. Does anyone know about this method? The shells all have a bit of stink about them, I think primarily from being in the incubator with this bad egg. Can anyone help? Thanks, Don

 

[Dondo]

Sorry, left this bit out. The eggs are about 2 1/2 weeks old today. Don

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I'm relatively sure water candling only works during those last days before hatch, when the embryos are moving into position and large enough to make the egg wiggle.
I would pull each eggs and sniff it. I know you said that they all had a stink going on, but if one is rotten, it should be obvious.

 

[Dondo]

Thanks for the answer. My wife found some information here on BYC after I had posted regarding using the water method. We tried it, found one egg that sunk straight to the bottom, and it looks like the others are viable. I washed out the incubator and parts with a "green" cleaner and "Fresh Breeze", both supposedly environmentally safe and yady yady yada.... Things have been a lot less smelly this afternoon. Regards,
Don