Floating eggs???

[Anonymous]

An eldery woman told me that they used to check eggs by putting them in a bucket of water(at 15 days) and if they sank they were discarded and if they floated and rocked they would hatch, she also said that putting them in water helped to soften the shell and made it easier for the chick to break through...has anyone ever heard of this?????

 

[Tim]

Yes and no.

I've heard of putting eggs in water - it's called the float test and used if you don't know the age of an egg.

It's all to do with the air sac enlarging / taking in more air as the egg ages.

Floating = Very old.
Pointed end on bottom, wide end straight up towards surface = 2 to 3 weeks old
Pointed end on bottom, wide end just lifted off bottom = 1 week old
Sank - Flat on bottom = Fresh

As for hatching after wetting - I've never heard of this.

 

[Davidd]

Hi, yes, it does work- i remember my granny did it sometimes when i was a little boy :shock:
She could also tell infertile eggs half way through incubation by touch alone- she said the fertile ones kept the heat better and the unfertile ones lost heat very quickly- she never had a candler and did them all by touch :shock: and was very rarely,if ever, wrong!
regards, David

 

[victorias poultry]

You can place eggs in warm water before hatching if you dont have a candelling lamp, at day 18 they will float and jump/move around in the water.

 

[ncotb]

I've heard this too. Have never tried it as would probably get it the wrong way round