I want to thank everyone who contributed to this thread! I am new to quail and am currently incubating my first set of eggs. Today is lock down so I decided to float test, had a few sinkers, a couple of sinkers that wiggled, some high floaters, and LOTS of good ones that were wiggling!!! Coolest thing I have ever seen! So thank you for sharing all the great advice and experience here.
You guys are amazing!!!
I would suggest that if you get sinkers that do not move then open them up real carefully at the air bubble end. it may prove fruitless according to other sources, however I do have a live one that sank and didn't move.
after breaking open the shell I saw a little beak moving so I opened up the membrane, carefully avoiding the veins, just to allow the chick to breathe. it survived and is now a good couple of weeks old spending much of it's time sitting on my shoulder or trying to peck at my nose, ears, eyes and anything else it fancies trying to eat.
once the shell has been broken open it is in severe danger of drying out. I used wet tissue to surround the membrane (apart from the bit where the beak was) and replaced it every couple of hours. I am no expert on this method whatsoever so I can only go by the experience I had.
the method did point me to a floater that rumbled around in the water which I though was a dud, that was really cool to watch.
it may be different for quail, my eggs were hens eggs, therefore I cannot comment upon what you might find although I suspect they will be pretty much the same.
if the sinkers prove to be duds upon opening the bubble end then you have lost nothing anyway, so worth checking out, it could prove educational.
i wish you good fortune with your babies.
