Checking for rotten eggs

[Popsguinea chookens]

Hi all, I have just found a large nest of 52 eggs. The thing is that I only have 3 or 4 Guinea hens so I want to know how to check for any rotten ones. I tried float test and every one of them sank. I know that they are only good for 7 and I wanted to check them before I incubated them. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can go about this. Cheers in advance.

 

[R2elk]

Hi all, I have just found a large nest of 52 eggs. The thing is that I only have 3 or 4 Guinea hens so I want to know how to check for any rotten ones. I tried float test and every one of them sank. I know that they are only good for 7 and I wanted to check them before I incubated them. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can go about this. Cheers in advance.

Your belief that the eggs are only good for 7 days is not correct. There is something about the hens turning the eggs and adding their body heat to them that affects the eggs. I have personally incubated guinea eggs that I have stored for 21 days without any issues.

One thing that you might do is to candle the eggs and check for any signs of development in case one or more of the hens have already been brooding the nest.

 

[50-45-1]

My husband once found a huge clutch of guinea eggs in our cherry orchard.
We did not know how fresh they were. We have a 60 egg incubator and set all the eggs that were not cracked or damaged or had poop on them.
4 weeks later, just as i was thinking they were all bad as i did not hear any peeping or see any pipping and was about to throw them out. I went to the bacement to check, and ALL but one had hatched overnite!
So in one day we went from 6 guineas to over 60!
The float test is great for figuring out the freshness of eggs for eating.
I do not think you should be doing the float test on eggs you intend to hatch. Emersing in water may remove the bloom that keeps the bacteria out of the egg. Candeling guinea eggs is also difficult as the shells are so thick.
If you want more guineas, i say go for it and see what happens.
Good luck!

 

[Popsguinea chookens]

Your belief that the eggs are only good for 7 days is not correct. There is something about the hens turning the eggs and adding their body heat to them that affects the eggs. I have personally incubated guinea eggs that I have stored for 21 days without any issues.

One thing that you might do is to candle the eggs and check for any signs of development in case one or more of the hens have already been brooding the nest.

Thanks for your reply mate. I’ll clean the incubator today and add put them in there. There predicting thunderstorms for the next few days. Is the saying that a thunderstorm will turn your eggs correct or a urban lie or true?

 

[Popsguinea chookens]

My husband once found a huge clutch of guinea eggs in our cherry orchard.
We did not know how fresh they were. We have a 60 egg incubator and set all the eggs that were not cracked or damaged or had poop on them.
4 weeks later, just as i was thinking they were all bad as i did not hear any peeping or see any pipping and was about to throw them out. I went to the bacement to check, and ALL but one had hatched overnite!
So in one day we went from 6 guineas to over 60!
The float test is great for figuring out the freshness of eggs for eating.
I do not think you should be doing the float test on eggs you intend to hatch. Emersing in water may remove the bloom that keeps the bacteria out of the egg. Candeling guinea eggs is also difficult as the shells are so thick.
If you want more guineas, i say go for it and see what happens.
Good luck!

Thanks

Hi mate and thanks for your reply. I had already tried the float test and they all sunk. I’m putting them in the incubator today so I’ve got my fingers crossed that we didn’t wash off the bloom that you speak of. Thanks mate

 

[pennyJo1960]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens simply setting them in water would not remove the bloom
your pretty safe but how many guinea's do you want ? that would be first question

 

[R2elk]

Thanks for your reply mate. I’ll clean the incubator today and add put them in there. There predicting thunderstorms for the next few days. Is the saying that a thunderstorm will turn your eggs correct or a urban lie or true?

That is one that I don't remember.

 

[ronott1]

Follow the advice about candling at the correct days for Guinea hen eggs.

There is no way to tell if an egg will hatch except by incubating it

I hope you have a good hatch!

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Facts not myth received from R2elk and 50-45-1. About the thunder storm ? I doubt it.