Your Thoughts on "Floating" Eggs 27-30 Day Old Eggs From Under Mama

[For The Love of Peeps]

Hi All Again,

I'm Sure This Has Been Discussed Many Times. But I Was Wondering if "floating the eggs" is a better indicator (than candling brown chicken eggs) of the eggs being viable or not. I have read to inspect carefully for any cracks or pips before floating them. Does anyone have an advice?

Thanks Again.

 

[Barrdwing]

So far, I've candled first with late eggs. Three times I saw internal pips, and the eggs hatched normally within 36 hours. I have also been able to see movement on live eggs, even when they were nearly term (candle from the air cell end; it's the best way to see into an egg with a nearly term chick). I've only done the float test on eggs that I was pretty sure were dead. That said, the float test is a very sensitive way to look for movement within the egg. I am just nervous about doing it!

 

[jvls1942]

I float test when I am about to throw out the unhatched eggs.. sometimes I will catch a late bloomer that way.. I like floating better than candling.. I seldom do either..

 

[For The Love of Peeps]

Ok....Thank You Both So Much. It's Very Hard Not Knowing if the Eggs Are Viable & Alive. Maybe I will Give Them a Few More Days. Maybe I Have The Wrong Date For Her Starting To "Set" As Well.

 

[jvls1942]

I often see people post that an egg died .. they determine it by candling.. Often an embryo does not move as someone is candling.. I wonder how many live eggs are mistakenly thrown away..??

 

[Barrdwing]

With mine, I look for movement and active blood vessels (which are much wider than the threadlike vessels of a dead egg). Also, if I see gas bubbling around in there, or leaky blood vessels (this shows up as clusters of small red spots against the inside of the shell), then I know we've got a dead one for sure. But it really helps to have candled live eggs at several stages of development: then you get a feel for what's normal, and what isn't. Sometimes I'll get an egg that I'm not 100% sure about; those stay a few more days in the incubator, and then I candle again.

 

[For The Love of Peeps]

Thanks To All That Replied. I very carefully inspected & then "Floated" the Eggs Today. One quickly sank to the bottom. THe other four appeared to me to be "Low Floaters". According to what I read on "Low Floaters" they should be pretty much full term.

So We Can Wait & See....Hopefully I Had My Dates Off....

 

[farmboydj]

so will low floaters still hatch or did they die in the egg because i floated mine and most of them were low floaters?

 

[jvls1942]

when I float eggs I watch for movement.. It will quiver in the water and cause ripples.. some will bounce like a fishing bobber..

to see what I mean, take an egg that you know is alive and float it..

I think it works best in the later stages of developement..

I never mess around with early developing eggs, so I have never floated any that were not almost full term or past full term..

 

[For The Love of Peeps]

farmboydj,

I'm not sure.

This is my first time with her hatching eggs. Are you saying you had "low floaters" that had died?