Float test fail

[suliah]

I've seen so much info on here about using the float test with late eggs that I feel like I just have to share my recent experience.

I had a broody. Unproven. She had 12 eggs, and by the end she had 9. She was due this past Saturday or Sunday, and had been kinda "eh" about it. She had crushed eggs and pooped in the nest (so eggs were dirty). I wasn't expecting a hatch.

Saturday morning I checked and found 1 chick, mostly out of the shell, but crushed. Not pecked, just crushed. Like she wanted him to stay in the egg.

I was crushed.

Sunday, seeing no pips and smelling something pretty bad, I decided to float test the eggs and toss the bad. I had 2 that floated about 5-10% out of the water, everything else sank.

So did my heart.

Then I heard a peep peep... from the bottom of the pot!

One of the sinkers had internally pipped (really dark shell, couldn't candle). Well, then there should be an air sac and he should float... Unless he's out of air!

I did emergency egg surgery and over the course of the next 4 hours got him hatched.

2 days later, this is a picture of my little chick: Lucky 2B Alive.




I put the rest of the eggs back under the bad broody, just in case. Eggtopsies Monday revealed that nothing else made it past day 17ish. That broody will never brood again, and I was intending to give her chicks but that's not gonna happen now. I worked really hard to save Lucky. I'm not about to let her kill him.

Anyway, so the float test did NOT work for me, or Lucky wouldn't be so lucky...

 

[lindalouly]

Wow... Interesting story. Luck was lucky and good job on saving lucky!!! Such a bummer when you don't have a cooperating broody. Good to know about the float test.

 

[WVduckchick]

Great save.

And there is some bad information about float tests out there. The float test is intended to check for life by wiggling in the water. That's it. Yes, it can be alive and not wiggle. Yes, it can sink and still be alive. Yes, it can be dead and still float, or sink. The only "sure" part about the float test is... If it wiggles, its alive. Period. The test cannot prove that one is dead.

Best of luck with your cute little 2B!

 

[suliah]

Great save.

And there is some bad information about float tests out there. The float test is intended to check for life by wiggling in the water. That's it. Yes, it can be alive and not wiggle. Yes, it can sink and still be alive. Yes, it can be dead and still float, or sink. The only "sure" part about the float test is... If it wiggles, its alive. Period. The test cannot prove that one is dead.

Best of luck with your cute little 2B!

Yes, apparently this!

I was under the impression that all sinkers were dead. Anything that floated more than 40% out of the water was rotten. And healthy full term eggs should float roughly 25-30% out of the water. Oh, and yes to look for movement.

Learned my lesson... Float test, BAD. Do not discard eggs that don't pass the float test, they may still be good!

 

[WVduckchick]

Yes, apparently this!

I was under the impression that all sinkers were dead. Anything that floated more than 40% out of the water was rotten. And healthy full term eggs should float roughly 25-30% out of the water. Oh, and yes to look for movement.

Learned my lesson... Float test, BAD. Do not discard eggs that don't pass the float test, they may still be good!

Yep, I know of someone who actually proceeded to open the egg and found the chick alive inside! I try my best to caution anyone. You did great!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Yep, I know of someone who actually proceeded to open the egg and found the chick alive inside! I try my best to caution anyone. You did great!

Me too! I always say, the float test is only reliable if the hatch and wiggle. Then you know it's alive other than that it's 50/50. I don't even suggest water candling anymore because I feel it's so misleading.

 

[kayla104]

aww so glad you were able to save lucky he/she is really "lucky"

 

[N F C]

That really is one Lucky chick! Way to go!