Eggs: float or sink test

bkenright · Mar 20, 2014

Ok, I know that to check if chicken eggs are good, you do the float test (put in a glass of water: sink = good and floats = bad). Does that translate for duck eggs too? Doing an online search only talked about fertilzed eggs and checking to see if they were alive. Proportionally, I think the duck egg is heavier for it's size than a similarly sized chicken egg and thought it might sink either way. We saw her sitting inside a bush beside our house this morning (some distance from the pond and the opposite side of the house from where they spent the winter). So, the egg could be from today or it could be from who knows when and she was just reusing the same spot. This is only the 3rd egg I've found from the ducks and I would like to use it as I had to throw the other 2 away due to not knowing how long they had been under the patio furniture.

Thanks!

hellofromtexas · Mar 20, 2014

This checks the air bubble and age. It doesn't check how good the egg is. It is possible for rotten eggs to pass this test.

It is best to throw away found eggs because it is impossible to tell how good they are. Especially if you want it for food. You could attempt to hatch it if there is a male but the chances of hatching decreases if the eggs are exposed to cold.

Candling (flash light test) is a better method to see the size of the air bubble.

However, eggs are porous and if it's possible if could of been exposed to the elements it wouldn't be safe to eat no matter what age it was.

Apyl · Mar 20, 2014

When in doubt throw it out. Why risk it. Be patient more eggs will come.

bkenright · Mar 21, 2014

I know. :banghead: I was just hoping someone would give me a different answer than what my common sense was telling me. We got them last spring and I was excited to finally find an egg from them!

Thanks for the replies!

Eggs: float or sink test

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