Lock down this afternoon 3 /15 at 4 PM *Last Update*

[chickpeaz]

BSL = Black Sex Link. Sex Link birds have different colored feathers at hatching for males and females so they're easily identified as pullets or cockerels.

HTH!

 

[texaschickmom]

Quote:
What is BSL and how do you know its a little roo ( rooster??) I am new at this...have my first hatch in due on 3/21. I notice you have the same bator i do!! in the video of the rocking egg i see you have some cloth or something in there what is that for?

Hi there redhead! BSL is Black Sex Link (cross of a Rhode Island Red roo and Barred Rock hen) which can be sexed at hatch. All the chicks are mainly black but the roos have a white "dot" on their head. The pullets are solid black.
That's a sponge in the video that's positioned right under the vent hole just in case I need to drip some water in there to bump up the humidity. I have not needed to yet. I filled both channels and it's holding around 65%. Of course, when a chick hatches it goes up for a little while. That's normal.
Hope this helps. Martha

 

[redhd077]

Quote:
What is BSL and how do you know its a little roo ( rooster??) I am new at this...have my first hatch in due on 3/21. I notice you have the same bator i do!! in the video of the rocking egg i see you have some cloth or something in there what is that for?

Hi there redhead! BSL is Black Sex Link (cross of a Rhode Island Red roo and Barred Rock hen) which can be sexed at hatch. All the chicks are mainly black but the roos have a white "dot" on their head. The pullets are solid black.
That's a sponge in the video that's positioned right under the vent hole just in case I need to drip some water in there to bump up the humidity. I have not needed to yet. I filled both channels and it's holding around 65%. Of course, when a chick hatches it goes up for a little while. That's normal.
Hope this helps. Martha

Oh! I didn't know that! Thanks for th info. I may try the sponge thing. Did you get the spong wet to start out or just put it in dry? i have a digital themetor and humidity, but i'm not sure how accurate the humidity is...it says 20 then says low. Its been like that the whole time. I have been adding water every other or evey few days.......when i go into lock down i was think of adding water every day or putting a sponge in the bottom.

 

[StormyMoon]

Quote:
What is BSL and how do you know its a little roo ( rooster??) I am new at this...have my first hatch in due on 3/21. I notice you have the same bator i do!! in the video of the rocking egg i see you have some cloth or something in there what is that for?

Hi there redhead! BSL is Black Sex Link (cross of a Rhode Island Red roo and Barred Rock hen) which can be sexed at hatch. All the chicks are mainly black but the roos have a white "dot" on their head. The pullets are solid black.
That's a sponge in the video that's positioned right under the vent hole just in case I need to drip some water in there to bump up the humidity. I have not needed to yet. I filled both channels and it's holding around 65%. Of course, when a chick hatches it goes up for a little while. That's normal.
Hope this helps. Martha

You can also do that with Buff Orpington Roo and Barred Rock Hen , thats what some of mine will be the girls will be solid black and the boys will have a dot and grow up with barring, and the girls remain black the rest of their life.

 

[texaschickmom]

Quote:
Hi there redhead! BSL is Black Sex Link (cross of a Rhode Island Red roo and Barred Rock hen) which can be sexed at hatch. All the chicks are mainly black but the roos have a white "dot" on their head. The pullets are solid black.
That's a sponge in the video that's positioned right under the vent hole just in case I need to drip some water in there to bump up the humidity. I have not needed to yet. I filled both channels and it's holding around 65%. Of course, when a chick hatches it goes up for a little while. That's normal.
Hope this helps. Martha

Oh! I didn't know that! Thanks for th info. I may try the sponge thing. Did you get the spong wet to start out or just put it in dry? i have a digital themetor and humidity, but i'm not sure how accurate the humidity is...it says 20 then says low. Its been like that the whole time. I have been adding water every other or evey few days.......when i go into lock down i was think of adding water every day or putting a sponge in the bottom.

I didn't use the sponge until lockdown and put it in dry. I have just read too many posts about needing to bump up humidity and lots of people suggested sponges. As I said, I haven't had to use it. The humidity is 75% in there now because of all the moisture that gets released when the hatching starts. Do you have a turner or are you handturning? And did you calibrate your hygrometer? Most of the cheaper ones from Walmart/Lowes are probably off and you need to know how much so you can make allowances. I hardly had any water during incubation, just a little in the center channel. Of course your humidity will be different from others depending on where you live.

 

[hannakat]

Good luck StormyMoon! Mine went into lockdown this evening and I heard one peeping! Didn't even know they could do that this early (apparently they can!)

I'm so so so so excited

This is my first hatch with eggs from my own sweet pair!

for all of us!

 

[redhd077]

Quote:
Oh! I didn't know that! Thanks for th info. I may try the sponge thing. Did you get the spong wet to start out or just put it in dry? i have a digital themetor and humidity, but i'm not sure how accurate the humidity is...it says 20 then says low. Its been like that the whole time. I have been adding water every other or evey few days.......when i go into lock down i was think of adding water every day or putting a sponge in the bottom.

I didn't use the sponge until lockdown and put it in dry. I have just read too many posts about needing to bump up humidity and lots of people suggested sponges. As I said, I haven't had to use it. The humidity is 75% in there now because of all the moisture that gets released when the hatching starts. Do you have a turner or are you handturning? And did you calibrate your hygrometer? Most of the cheaper ones from Walmart/Lowes are probably off and you need to know how much so you can make allowances. I hardly had any water during incubation, just a little in the center channel. Of course your humidity will be different from others depending on where you live.

I have a turner (does this make a diffrence) . I haven't been using a sponge either. I haven't calibrated my hygrometer . I have been putting water in all the channels. Im in Idaho, so we don't have to high of humidity.

 

[StormyMoon]

Quote:
Good luck to you too

Ya I am really excited too , the first hatch is always the most exciting... but then its feels like the first time all over again when you start again.

That excitement always comes back

 

[StormyMoon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHkX7J8s4L0

First chick is out, let me explain before everyone asks me about the straw lol........

Baby chick had knocked over the deal i use to measure the humidity I was moving that then when he hatched out I used the straw to move the shell away from him

8 more are pipped and some others rocking. I have 42 eggs in there now.

 

[rockinpaints]

Very exciting!! Good Luck!