Float Testing, Checking Egg Viability For Late Or Overdue Hatching

[Nabiki]

Yesterday my egg was chirping that cute little chicken chirp...today, 24 hours later..no sound, no cracks in the shell. I think he might have suffocated inside...I did the float test, and the egg sunk straight to the bottom, with air pocket (or where it should be) upwards. Is it safe to say that the chick died in the shell?

Maybe, but float testing is a good way to kill a chick that may have still been alive. Even if you manage to get the water the right temperature, the shells are porous, which means that the chick can very easily suffocate.

In a case like this, it's better to gently poke a hole in the top (wide end) of the egg and take a look.

 

[PonytailsFlock]

Wow! This information is so good I just had to quote it to hopefully bring it to people's attention who might need it today, 8 years later!

What if the egg spins around in the water? I waited for the water to get very still (I floated a tiny tip of a leaf so I could tell if it was just movement of the water in general) the leaf became still, the egg continued to spin, what does that mean?
It’s a porcelain d’uccle and we are on day 24. Hatching in a Brinsea mini ii with both water chambers filled up as of day 18. Started with 6 eggs, 5 hatched between day 20&21Pics were taken late day 22

 

[elaineinspain]

What if the egg spins around in the water? I waited for the water to get very still (I floated a tiny tip of a leaf so I could tell if it was just movement of the water in general) the leaf became still, the egg continued to spin, what does that mean?
It’s a porcelain d’uccle and we are on day 24. Hatching in a Brinsea mini ii with both water chambers filled up as of day 18. Started with 6 eggs, 5 hatched between day 20&21Pics were taken late day 22

It sounds to me like the baby chicks are moving inside the egg and that would make them move in the water…

 

[Wandering_r0gue]

I did this today as I still had 9 eggs unhatched without signs of activity. Found 4 that were active. Put them back in the incubator and 2 pipped fairly quickly afterwards.

 

[762]

For eggs incubated approximately two weeks, is it a guarantee that sinkers are 100% dead eggs? I have ten eggs candled that look good, but float tested a couple of them and they sank.

I know you are not supposed to do this, but we had to stagger sets of incubated eggs. We were incubating six eggs due 4/18, and we added another dozen on 4/10 (due 5/1) because the broody hen they were under got badly injured.

I figured a few days of higher humidity wouldn’t be a huge deal for this dozen in the early stages of development, but unfortunately no-one started hatching until 4/20. I still have two of six eggs unhatched that passed the float test, but we are now on day 4 of them being later than their siblings and I think they must be dead (also, this means a full week of higher humidity).

I returned humidity to normal but did a float test on a couple of the dozen due 5/1 and they sank, even though candled ten of twelve definitely look to have good chick development.

We have another hen that has gone broody and I’d really like to move these eggs under her, but I don’t want to give her bad eggs.

 

[Sylver Queen]

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

I was on day 22 of my first hatch under a hen and didn't know it could take so many extra days to hatch, but I did the float test just so there wouldn't be bad eggs under her and when two sunk I opened them, and found fully formed babies inside. I thought if they sunk they were supposed to be duds that never developed??

Looks like they had been deceased for a couple of days and were fully developed but hadn't absorbed their yolk sacs or started to breathe yet, so I think they were gone upon opening, but they sure were developed for sinking eggs.

 

[Nabiki]

I was on day 22 of my first hatch under a hen and didn't know it could take so many extra days to hatch, but I did the float test just so there wouldn't be bad eggs under her and when two sunk I opened them, and found fully formed babies inside. I thought if they sunk they were supposed to be duds that never developed??

Looks like they had been deceased for a couple of days and were fully developed but hadn't absorbed their yolk sacs or started to breathe yet, so I think they were gone upon opening, but they sure were developed for sinking eggs.

Please, please don't float test eggs. If there is a live chick in there, it's a good way to kill it. Candling is a much better way to check them.

 

[Sylver Queen]

Please, please don't float test eggs. If there is a live chick in there, it's a good way to kill it. Candling is a much better way to check them.

That seems to be the consensus of all my research lately! Thank you. I tried candling one and saw absolutely nothing in one of the deceased eggs even though on day 15 I had seen good viability in the same egg. My estimation is they died on day 18 or 19 and I'm not sure why, but I'm concerned about bacterial contamination because the nest got messy. Could have been a temperature issue too as we've had fluctuating weather. But anyway, it was kind of hard to tell what it would look like if a chick died before hatch because like I said no light was making it through. Maybe a better light setup??

 

[007Sean]

That seems to be the consensus of all my research lately! Thank you. I tried candling one and saw absolutely nothing in one of the deceased eggs even though on day 15 I had seen good viability in the same egg. My estimation is they died on day 18 or 19 and I'm not sure why, but I'm concerned about bacterial contamination because the nest got messy. Could have been a temperature issue too as we've had fluctuating weather. But anyway, it was kind of hard to tell what it would look like if a chick died before hatch because like I said no light was making it through. Maybe a better light setup??

A very strong light is recommended but even then about all you will see is the aircell. If it has internally pipped, you will be able to see it and if you look at it long enough you will see it move but that's not a good thing to do, cause it may drop the internal temperature of the egg too much and would likely weaken or kill the chick.

In any given hatch, 1/3 of the embryos will (dis) early on, 1/3 will (dis) midway through incubation and 1/3 will (dis) late or just before pipping or soon after pipping. Various reasons for the deaths are numberous, some are nutritional, sequencing of RNA and DNA misdirected, genetical, or environmental.

 

[Nabiki]

I will also tap on the egg while it's next to my ear. If it's close to hatching you will often hear a return tap or even a peep.