Help interpreting float test of abandoned eggs?

[SoCalClucker]

Hi all, long story short, Mama Hen was sitting on eggs with low odds of success, so we gave her some day-old chicks on Day 21 and she happily adopted them. One egg actually did hatch -- hooray! -- but the other 4 were promptly abandoned. I don't own any sort of incubator and with the eggs being so unlikely to succeed anyway, was not really inclined to run out and buy one. I did feel like she jumped the gun kicking the eggs out though, so rigged up a very rough warming setup with a heat lamp, etc. Today is Day 23 and with no progress, I did the float test.

They all seem to "pass," but no strong motion, only microscopic ones that might be nothing. Advice? What should I do? Do they all look worth continuing to warm? I candled them as well and at least 2 look appropriately developed, but I am not an expert and I have never seen motion...

 

[Poultry parent]

Are they touching the bottom of the container?

 

[SoCalClucker]

No, they definitely want to float fat end up and the bowl is deep enough that the pointy end doesn't reach the bottom. Should they be?

 

[SoCalClucker]

No, they definitely want to float fat end up and the bowl is deep enough that the pointy end doesn't reach the bottom. Should they be?

 

[Hybridchucks]

yeah props a deeper bowl shud do the trick.........

 

[Poultry parent]

They aren't supposed to touch the bottom. So you've got that right. Just give them another day and if nothing happens they're probably duds

 

[Hybridchucks]

but after 24 hours direct them to see if they even developed.....

 

[SoCalClucker]

Hi Hybridchucks, what do you mean direct them?

 

[Hybridchucks]

OH I AM SO SORRY!!! stupid spell correct!
I meant DISECT ! Lol

 

[JenniferCNY]

I had 6 eggs that all floated like that on day 23 after 2 others had hatched on day 21. Since I figured it unlikely that any were viable at that point I checked and none had developed at all.