Float Test to Check Egg Freshness

How can you be sure an egg is fresh? You can check your eggs for freshness by doing this easy Float Test.

I had to leave the flock in the care of Doctor Dolittle and Fireman Guy. Naturally, the chickens decided to become 100% productive. The kitchen counter had a mountain of eggs!

Float Test to the rescue!

How to Float Test Eggs

1. Fill a container with more than enough water to completely cover eggs.
2. Gently place eggs in the water and wait for them to mostly stop moving.
3. Look at the eggs.
4. Toss the Floaters!



Floating egg is stale

5. Save the Sinkers!

Fresh eggs sink

Why does this work? To answer this question you need to understand that eggs have an air cell in the large end and that the egg shell is porous. As an egg ages, the air carries away moisture which causes the fluid part to shrink and the air cell to get bigger. Eventually the egg contains so much air that it floats in water. When an egg reaches that stage, it is no longer good to eat.

Doc used the oldest fresh eggs for Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs. Oh the chickeny joy!


Update: This article explains role of pH as well.

New coop for the happy couple

Ah chickeny romance!

Once upon a time, Psycho the feather-pecking pullet, was imprisoned in the newly constructed chicken run. There she lived in tragic isolation, waiting for her prince to arrive and sweep her off her feet.

Then one day, out of the blue, a brightly colored cockerel showed up at her gate. He danced his "Hey Baby" dance. He crowed his crackly Junior crow. He even graciously ran away from Mr. Big when he felt the fence might not be strong enough to hold him back.

As soon as Psycho's gate was opened, Junior made himself at home. He showed her where her food dish was. He scratched up bugs and held them up for her. He even verified the comfort and safety of her roost.

The one thing the happy couple lacked was a cozy chicken coop to call their own. Luckily the new farm hand, Fireman Guy Montag, knew how to drill and caulk.

Guy and I start construction on chickeny love shack

Doc just completed a horse fence project, so we had a lot of salvaged wood. I scrounged up hardware cloth, a 3x5 cement board, and some fence pales.

Guy caulked the gaps

I bought a pre-cut 2x2 treated plywood door from Lowes. Smart move! It is actually square!! This made installing hinges and hanging the door soooooo much easier.

Doc and Guy weatherproofed the coop after this pic

Alone at last!

We furnished the coop with a 2x6 roost, a dog bowl of layer crumbles, a water bottle, and a covered cat box for nesting. Junior liked the roost. Psycho liked the crumbles.

Oh the chickeny joy!