HELP ASAP!!! broody and fertilized egg questions

[stone_family3]

Eggs are due between yesterday and 28th, mix between duck and chicken eggs. Some of them are not easy to candle and I have to clean their nests asap so I want to check the eggs.

Can I do a float test? What water temp should I use? What results should I look for when I do it?

 

[MuscovyMad]

The float test relies on the air cell being large enough to cause it to float. Therefore any of your eggs that are not due until the 28th may not float aswell which may be mistaken for an infertile egg.

Ideally you float test after the due date to confirm whether any chick inside is still alive. You would be looking to see that it floats and then you would see the egg moving in the water due to the foetus's movement in the egg. The water should be the same temperature as the egg to avoid cooling it down or heating it up.

It would be good if you could give some more details as to how your hatching them as you say you are using a broody but your due dates are spread far apart therefore you might get the duck/hen leaving the nest early with the first hatched chicks.

 

[stone_family3]

I have two broodies and after giving them eggs they screwed around about sitting so that is the reason for the date variations.