Float Testing, Checking Egg Viability For Late Or Overdue Hatching

[MommaBee]

OK I am bumping this because I have a question... 6 of my eggs hatched on day 20-21, last Wednesday and Thursday. My incubator is borrowed and HAS to be return tomorrow for a class to use it for their hatching project. And ALL of the eggs I have done the float test on are floating. Even one that I can clearly see has a blood ring. What is going on? Totally confused.

 

[MommaBee]

I should add that many of them are clearly dark/developed? below the air cell. I see no internal pips and they are darker colored eggs therefore hard to see below the air cell.

 

[MommaBee]

So I just piped the tops off of 2 of them. One was clearly not fully developed, it still floated. The other had an internal pip (guess I couldn't see it through the dark shell, but it was dead too. It also floated. Both had only the air cell above water.

 

[skhomer]

My eggs are at 13 days, and I am only able to candle the white ones ... is this something I should do now to keep bad gases from bad eggs out (something I read on another group) or just wait until days 21/22 and do it then? We have a Brinsea Mini Advanced, I'm keeping the water level correct and other than that just watching it (obsessively) since it has the auto thermostat and turner.

First hatch ... all nervous again - almost as bad as the first day old fluffy beats years ago.

Thanks all!

 

[MommaBee]

My eggs are at 13 days, and I am only able to candle the white ones ... is this something I should do now to keep bad gases from bad eggs out (something I read on another group) or just wait until days 21/22 and do it then? We have a Brinsea Mini Advanced, I'm keeping the water level correct and other than that just watching it (obsessively) since it has the auto thermostat and turner.

First hatch ... all nervous again - almost as bad as the first day old fluffy beats years ago.

Thanks all!

If it was me I would NOT do this again. I did it after the hatch was over, day 22-23. And they all floated. I have heard from some pretty experienced hatchers that any egg that old is going to float, even if the chick is dead in shell. Do you have a LED flashlight? If so just candle them if a few are later than the others. You can see when they internally pip and you can see movement. Just from my previous recent experience with the float test I said it involves too much risk and not enough answers.

 

[PNE443]

If it was me I would NOT do this again. I did it after the hatch was over, day 22-23. And they all floated. I have heard from some pretty experienced hatchers that any egg that old is going to float, even if the chick is dead in shell. Do you have a LED flashlight? If so just candle them if a few are later than the others. You can see when they internally pip and you can see movement. Just from my previous recent experience with the float test I said it involves too much risk and not enough answers.

I have to say I agree with you there. I had a few that hadnt hatched so I float tested them after candling them and not being able to see any movement or pips etc and they all floated so I kept up the hope they would hatch but when I checked them they were all dead and not developed properly but still floated. I dont think its an accurate enough method. If they are due to hatch and dont within a few days and they is not piping, tapping and theres no movement coming from the egg within a few days of that time then they are probably dead. It doesnt mean you should give up hope of them hatching but just be patient and see what happens. Being patient is the hardest part!

 

[oesdog]

When I did the float test a few years back it was pretty accurate - the chicks inside were dead. However we did get very late hatches at 27 and 28 days so be patient ! Also others have said certain chickens like Marans sometimes take longer. Someone recently had one hatch at 26 days. Float test should be done as a last resort. I wouldn;t do it until the hatch is well over! 23 days +

Oes

 

[lawatt]

thank you for this thread -- i have a dozen araucana eggs under a broody & today is day #24 -- but just float-testing six of them (no pips or cracks, no peeping), and they ALL are low-floaters -- so have put them back in her nest & hope the weekend brings some chicks! fingers crossed!

 

[markschick]

I did the float test and my eggs were low floaters but there was no movement. Should I assume they are developed but dead?

 

[minihorse927]

I did the float test and my eggs were low floaters but there was no movement.  Should I assume they are developed but dead?

If they are full term the top of the egg should float out of the water. Not quite a third of the egg should float above the water line. Of they are low floaters, as in half ways from the bottom to the top than they are early quitters or have not been developing for the full 21 days.