Float Testing, Checking Egg Viability For Late Or Overdue Hatching

[JaeG]

What if they touch the bottom but they are standing up? (Not fully laying at the bottom like a freshly laid egg would)

The air cell at the fat end will float but any water will wash away some of the 'bloom' from the outside of the shell, making it easier for bacteria to invade which is why it shouldn't be used unless it's as a last resort and the egg is long overdue. The float test is very unreliable and eggs can present in many different ways while being floated, but that doesn't mean an egg is alive or dead. Candling will give you much more information, even if the egg shell is dark. You can at least see what's going on with the air cell.

 

[JnJ Longhorns]

The air cell at the fat end will float but any water will wash away some of the 'bloom' from the outside of the shell, making it easier for bacteria to invade which is why it shouldn't be used unless it's as a last resort and the egg is long overdue. The float test is very unreliable and eggs can present in many different ways while being floated, but that doesn't mean an egg is alive or dead. Candling will give you much more information, even if the egg shell is dark. You can at least see what's going on with the air cell.

Thanks, my first incubation was a disaster

 

[JaeG]

Thanks, my first incubation was a disaster

That's honestly not unusual and if they were shipped eggs that makes it even harder. I'd hatched hundreds of my own quail, and shipped Muscovy eggs then I tried shipped chicken eggs and it was a complete disaster. It really blew my confidence. It really depends on what sort of journey the eggs have to you that makes the difference.

Once you figure out what works for your incubator in your set-up then it does get easier.

 

[Reinventme127]

i guess i did someting wrong,have cou.quail eggs 5 days lat and this test said they were all good.candled some turkey eggs that i knew was no good .and they floated with 15% above water.nothing works for me

I had eggs that I knew were not good and they floated as well

 

[DuckNana]

Many Folks Are Having Eggs Go Overdue For Hatch And Wondering If They Are Duds, Late, Or Have Had Some Sort Of Fetal Demise.... The Float Test Is Simple Yet Effect Way Of Checking Egg Viability.

I Normally Give Eggs A Full 24 Hrs Overdue Before Float Testing. It Works On All Bird Eggs- Period! Takes Very Little Equipment Or Time To Do And Is Easy To Perform.


Start With A Bowl Of Sufficient Depth To Allow The Eggs Your Testing To Float Freely Or Sink. Add 100 Degree Water To The Needed Level And Allow It To Settle( Quit Swirling And Calm Down)

Once Settled Take The Egg Or Eggs To Be Tested And Gently Lower Them Into The Water With As Little Disturbance As Possible. You May Need To Wait A Few Minutes For The Water To Settle Again After Adding Egg/ Eggs. Then Just Watch....

Eggs Are Judged By Observation With Results As Follows:

1. Sinker= Dud, Never Developed

2. High Floater (like A Fishing Bobber Without Weights) Say 45% Or More Of The Egg Above The Water Line= Dud, No Development Or Fetal Demise, Likely Rupture Of Internal Membranes Causing The Egg To Dehydrate.

3. Low Floater= Viable Egg, Development Full Term

4. Low Floater Rockin And Rollin! This Is The Live Embryo Moving Inside The Egg= Definate Viable Egg!

Once Test Results Complete Take Viable Eggs And Gently Pat Dry And Replace In Hatcher. Duds Are Best Discarded At This Time.


It Should Be Noted All Eggs Warrant Close Inspection Prior To Float Testing--- Any Pips In The Shell? Do Not Float Test! If The Shell Is Broken, Pipped Or Cracked In Any Way Water May Enter And Drown The Chick Inside

This Test Works Off Of Air Cell Development With Embryo Growth. Infertile Eggs Will Have An Underdeveloped Or Absent Air Cell That Isnt Large Enough To Float The Egg....thus The Sinkers. Ruptured Membranes Will Allow The Egg To Dehydrate.... Thus The High Floater. Proper Development Of The Embryo Will Cause The Air Cell To Develope To The Point Where Viable Eggs Will Float With Approximately 10-15% Of The Egg Above The Water Line--- These Are The Viable Eggs. Obvious Movement Of The Egg Shows Signs Of Life For The Chick Within. Works On All Bird Eggs From Hummingbirds To Ostriches

 

[DuckNana]

Hello! I just did this float test on a chicken egg that is on day 26. It's siblings have hatched. The egg floated about 10-15% out of the water, the size of the air cell. I waited and NO rockin n rollin? So my egg is viable with a full term chick but possibly not alive?? If not moving in the water? First time I have done this. Thank you for responding when you have a chance.

 

[Nabiki]

Hello! I just did this float test on a chicken egg that is on day 26. It's siblings have hatched. The egg floated about 10-15% out of the water, the size of the air cell. I waited and NO rockin n rollin? So my egg is viable with a full term chick but possibly not alive?? If not moving in the water? First time I have done this. Thank you for responding when you have a chance.

Please, please, please, don't do float tests on possible live eggs. The egg shells are porous and it's a good way to kill a chick.

It sounds like it's gone, but try candling or tapping on the shell while holding it up to your ear. If you don't see an internal pip or any movement, it's probably dead. If you don't hear any peeping or tapping when you tap on the shell, it's probably dead.

 

[JaeG]

Hello! I just did this float test on a chicken egg that is on day 26. It's siblings have hatched. The egg floated about 10-15% out of the water, the size of the air cell. I waited and NO rockin n rollin? So my egg is viable with a full term chick but possibly not alive?? If not moving in the water? First time I have done this. Thank you for responding when you have a chance.

Candling gives you much more information than floating ever will. A dead chick will sink towards the narrow end of the egg and there will be a watery gap between it and the bottom of the air cell. It will look very black and lumpy and the liquid around it very yellow/pale, unlike a live egg which will have a dark red glow.

If your chick has pipped internally then you'll see it's beak in the air cell. If it is dead it won't move. Sometimes the movement of your hands can move the light slightly to make it look like it is moving, but unless you can hear it it likely hasn't made it. Sometimes the chick can end up in the wrong position, and the reason isn't always clear, but that can prevent them from pipping altogether. There are quite a few things that can go wrong in the final stages of incubation and unfortunately not all chicks will hatch.

 

[Biker chick]

Many Folks Are Having Eggs Go Overdue For Hatch And Wondering If They Are Duds, Late, Or Have Had Some Sort Of Fetal Demise.... The Float Test Is Simple Yet Effect Way Of Checking Egg Viability.

I Normally Give Eggs A Full 24 Hrs Overdue Before Float Testing. It Works On All Bird Eggs- Period! Takes Very Little Equipment Or Time To Do And Is Easy To Perform.


Start With A Bowl Of Sufficient Depth To Allow The Eggs Your Testing To Float Freely Or Sink. Add 100 Degree Water To The Needed Level And Allow It To Settle( Quit Swirling And Calm Down)

Once Settled Take The Egg Or Eggs To Be Tested And Gently Lower Them Into The Water With As Little Disturbance As Possible. You May Need To Wait A Few Minutes For The Water To Settle Again After Adding Egg/ Eggs. Then Just Watch....

Eggs Are Judged By Observation With Results As Follows:

1. Sinker= Dud, Never Developed

2. High Floater (like A Fishing Bobber Without Weights) Say 45% Or More Of The Egg Above The Water Line= Dud, No Development Or Fetal Demise, Likely Rupture Of Internal Membranes Causing The Egg To Dehydrate.

3. Low Floater= Viable Egg, Development Full Term

4. Low Floater Rockin And Rollin! This Is The Live Embryo Moving Inside The Egg= Definate Viable Egg!

Once Test Results Complete Take Viable Eggs And Gently Pat Dry And Replace In Hatcher. Duds Are Best Discarded At This Time.


It Should Be Noted All Eggs Warrant Close Inspection Prior To Float Testing--- Any Pips In The Shell? Do Not Float Test! If The Shell Is Broken, Pipped Or Cracked In Any Way Water May Enter And Drown The Chick Inside

This Test Works Off Of Air Cell Development With Embryo Growth. Infertile Eggs Will Have An Underdeveloped Or Absent Air Cell That Isnt Large Enough To Float The Egg....thus The Sinkers. Ruptured Membranes Will Allow The Egg To Dehydrate.... Thus The High Floater. Proper Development Of The Embryo Will Cause The Air Cell To Develope To The Point Where Viable Eggs Will Float With Approximately 10-15% Of The Egg Above The Water Line--- These Are The Viable Eggs. Obvious Movement Of The Egg Shows Signs Of Life For The Chick Within. Works On All Bird Eggs From Hummingbirds To Ostriches

how young/ old does an egg need to be for it to do the “rock and roll”?
I had movement from a float test 18 days ago and still no hatch! (Candling shows blood vessels, but it’s looked like that for a couple weeks now)

 

[FloorCandy]

how young/ old does an egg need to be for it to do the “rock and roll”?
I had movement from a float test 18 days ago and still no hatch! (Candling shows blood vessels, but it’s looked like that for a couple weeks now)

The float test is a bit outdated. It is a good way to kill a live chick because eggs are porous. The best way to check egg viability is candling the egg. Many eggs never “rock and roll” and hatch just fine. If all others have hatched, and you’ve given it an extra day or 2, take the egg and gently tap it with your finger nail, listen to it, feel for movement. Candle the egg and look for any signs of movement. As a last resort, before giving up, you can open a small hole into the air cell and peek inside.

Is it possible to put a warning on the original post, saying this method is not really encouraged, and outline the dangers of killing a chick? I raise quail, so 1 less quail is no biggie for me, but if someone has a pricey egg they paid a lot for, they definitely shouldn’t float it willy nilly.