Float Testing, Checking Egg Viability For Late Or Overdue Hatching

[my5kids]

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 /img/smilies/smile.png

 

[my5kids]

Ugh. Anyway. We went over due assuming low temp. Getting very discouraged. But reading to "give it a few more days" well after 4 days over due. I started getting to the point where I was gathering a second load to start incubation. Until I read this! My daughter abd I got a bowl therm. And a few towels one after the other, viable, viable, until. We heard it THE SWEET SWEET SOUND OF CHIRPING xoxox thank u!!!!!!!

INFERTILE WILL NOT DEVELOPE ENOUGH TO FLOAT. AS THE CHICK DEVELOPS THE AIR SAC GETS BIGGER. NO DEVELOPMENT= NOT SUFFICIENT AIR VOLUME TO FLOAT THE EGG. THEY DO OFTEN TIMES STAND UP ON END IN THE BOTTOM OF THE WATER CONTAINER THO /img/smilies/smile.png

Ok I get this now! Lol. I incubated for the first time, usually go with one of my broodies

 

[MummaZette]

I had an assortment of chicken, khaki, Muscovy and goose egg in my bator. According to calendar.. The khaki ducks and chick Should have started hatching 5/2 through 5/15, the geese starting 5/11 and the Muscovy hatching 5/16.
The bator was checked several time a day for stats... Had auto turner.
Twice I found the bator had been unplugged and started cooling. On 4/30, I took the turner out hoping they survived and put them on lockdown. There is obvious dark spots in the duck eggs (body or egg rot I don't know for sure) there is no major foul odor and I've smelt eggs that exploded!
I did the floater test today 5/13 and all but 1 stayed at the surface. The one that didn't just kept bobbing. I don't want to autopsy if by some chance they survived. How much longer do I give them?
I'm not good at candling... I did candle them at day 8 and 14. I could see the web of vessels and no obvious blood rings. Even saw movement . I have never had a successful bator hatch, only my broody girls. I have Just a basic Lil Giant Still air. Any thoughts?

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[Santiz]

Help!!! Is it normal to have chicken eggs go up to 27 days? My hen is sitting on 9 egg and I did the water float test on 5 eggs, 4 which were moving like crazy (no chirping) 1 which sunk to the bottom!

 

[dc3085]

Help!!! Is it normal to have chicken eggs go up to 27 days? My hen is sitting on 9 egg and I did the water float test on 5 eggs, 4 which were moving like crazy (no chirping) 1 which sunk to the bottom!

This is an old thread, that no one is answering anymore. Try posing a new thread in the chicken section.

 

[Sylviaanne]

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

If the eggs are tested earlier, say at day 14, would these results be the same? I ask because my shells are too dark to see through. Thanks, Sylvia

 

[dc3085]

Too dark to see through means they have a chick in them. Whether the chick is alive or dead is a different story.

You can float test at any stage, although it obviously isn't wise during lockdown. Results may be slightly different if done at day 14 because this was written with late stage eggs in mind (19 days plus)

Unless you are short of space in your hatcher I wouldn't worry about float testing.

 

[Sylviaanne]

Too dark to see through means they have a chick in them. Whether the chick is alive or dead is a different story.

You can float test at any stage, although it obviously isn't wise during lockdown. Results may be slightly different if done at day 14 because this was written with late stage eggs in mind (19 days plus)

Unless you are short of space in your hatcher I wouldn't worry about float testing.

When I said I couldn't see through the shells, I meant the shells are a blue/green and dark brown. Does your response mean that they probably have a chick in them? Thanks, Sylvia

 

[dc3085]

If you put a light on it and the whole egg lights up green, its not fertile or not yet developed. If you candle and the light won't go through the egg (egg is dark) then it has a chick. The eggs aren't like chicken or bobwhite eggs where you can clearly see through them, so you either get it to light up or not light up. Not lighting up is good.

 

[MargaretYakoda]

When I said I couldn't see through the shells, I meant the shells are a blue/green and dark brown. Does your response mean that they probably have a chick in them? Thanks, Sylvia

You might need a stronger flashlight.