Today, Day 24, 1 of my 3 chicks just hatched!!!Help Please Float Test!

[mojomamma]

One of my chicks just hatched at 8:00 this morning!!!Started peeping yesterday at 3:00 in the afternoon and pipped a hole in the middle of the night, So excited, going into day 24, didn't think it was going to happen, !!! It seems very healthy. I have 2 more eggs that I just did a float test on, put them in and both of them floated about 10-15% above water, the other 90% of the egg was under water, left them in about 45 seconds and couldn't see any movement, put them back in the bator. Do you think it's possible they could be alive? What are your thoughts?

 

[vanalpaca]

My understanding that the water test was not floating but to see the heartbeat.

I put the egg in 100 degree water, measured temp.

I watched to see if the egg moved on its own. This is caused by the heartbeat.

I had 7 with heartbeats that I put into lockdown. I put two aside, but the chicks in them probably stopped growing and I opened up one egg that looked mostly clear, which turned out to be a 5 day developed chick on day 18.

If you are going this long for incubation, then you may need to adjust your temp or humidity.

I lockdown on day 18, increase humidity, and don't open again until they are hatched. They have to have the strength to make it on their own.

Mine is currently a foam bator and all three of my thermometers are reading different temps and they read different in the areas of the bator as well. So I'm sure my lowered hatch rates are due to temps and not necessarily fertility.

Any opened shipping eggs have been scrambled yolks!

Cheers, good luck.

 

[seminolewind]

Can't you just candle them?

 

[mojomamma]

Thank you! That makes sense about the heartbeat. I was not able to see anything when I candled the eggs. They are Marans and the shell is so dark, but maybe I am just not doing it right.