# Black Sexlink Hatch



## twentynine

First one of the year. New roosters.

Target, is setting 40 eggs on Feb 4th.


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## 7chicks

Good luck. Keep us posted.


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## Energyvet

Pics of black sex linked please.


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## twentynine

13 eggs on the turner, looks like I'll make 30, instead of 40.

Pictures-- gee I'll have to look and see if I have any on my phone. I breed them, I hatch them, but other than once or twice a year do I have any on hand.

Nope! Nothing on my phone.


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## Energyvet

Too bad. Maybe next time.


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## twentynine

17 on the turner


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## twentynine

Count now stands at 33. I'll gather today's eggs, then set them this evening.


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## Energyvet

Holy Moley!


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## twentynine

Okay final count. Saved a total of 38 eggs, after candling I eliminated 4 eggs, due to porous shells or double yolk.

So in the incubator at 1700 this afternoon 34 eggs.

Now all I can do is wait for day 10, candle and then I'll see if Mitt and R
Romney are doing their part. 6 months old, they may not be putting their heart into it.


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## robopetz

Just curious.. I thought double yolks are able to hatch and become twins?


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## Energyvet

It's not their heart that will really matter now is it! Lol. Good good luck with your hatch. Hope you have your normally good outcome!


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## twentynine

robopetz said:


> Just curious.. I thought double yolks are able to hatch and become twins?


I have never hatched a double yolker. Not saying it can't be done, just never attempted it.

When starting a hatch I candle all the eggs going in, anything abnormal with the egg, will get it pulled. To dirty, to big, to small, porous shell, cracked shell, double yolk-- I put only the select eggs in the incubator. My experience in hatching shows that even if you put the questionable eggs in the incubator, the vast majority of them won't hatch, when compared to the hatch rate of the select eggs. Or if they do hatch, the chick will have health issues.


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## twentynine

Energyvet said:


> It's not their heart that will really matter now is it! Lol. Good good luck with your hatch. Hope you have your normally good outcome!


Yeah! I know it's not their heart.

I'll know in 10 days, plus or minus a few, what to expect from this set.


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## robopetz

twentynine said:


> I have never hatched a double yolker. Not saying it can't be done, just never attempted it.
> 
> When starting a hatch I candle all the eggs going in, anything abnormal with the egg, will get it pulled. To dirty, to big, to small, porous shell, cracked shell, double yolk-- I put only the select eggs in the incubator. My experience in hatching shows that even if you put the questionable eggs in the incubator, the vast majority of them won't hatch, when compared to the hatch rate of the select eggs. Or if they do hatch, the chick will have health issues.


You are the egg whisperer!


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## twentynine

Got to tell a little truth on myself---

Started 34 eggs Monday afternoon, well I use one of those Hovabator turners that hold 41 eggs. Tuesday evening I picked eggs and the barred rock hens gave me 5. Well lickedie split, I put'em in the incubator with the 34 I had started the previous day. 

I have never added an egg to the incubator once I set the initial load. Hanging around here with you people is a causing me to pick up all manner of bad habits


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## Energyvet

There is a YouTube Visio of a double yolk hatching into twins. With help.


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## robopetz

Yes, I've seen that. Interesting!


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## twentynine

Energyvet said:


> There is a YouTube Visio of a double yolk hatching into twins. With help.


Like I said --- not saying it can't be done. Just never tried it.

And no matter how much it pained me, I never help a chick out of the egg. I used to, only to end up with chicks that are hatched with health issues. Bad legs, crossed beeks, bad necks. These were readily identifiable because of the disability, so they would end up being adopted by my granddaughter as pets. Only to have quality of life issues. And grand daughter with broke heart.


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## Energyvet

Yes, I've heard that many times. Universal truth. Hatching seems to be the final test to fitness. That's why I mentioned it. I always asked that question and never got an answer. Then I saw this YouTube and was excited to hear of two chicks. Then I watched it and saw this person opening the shell and I was thinking - oh that's not good cause I still don't know if they would have hatched out on their own due to your impatience. So that's the end of my story at the moment.


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## Jim

twentynine said:


> Got to tell a little truth on myself---
> 
> Started 34 eggs Monday afternoon, well I use one of those Hovabator turners that hold 41 eggs. Tuesday evening I picked eggs and the barred rock hens gave me 5. Well lickedie split, I put'em in the incubator with the 34 I had started the previous day.
> 
> I have never added an egg to the incubator once I set the initial load. Hanging around here with you people is a causing me to pick up all manner of bad habits


I would have done the same thing.....actually did with what is cooking now.


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## twentynine

Little premature but I couldn't help it.

Pulled a couple 4-5 eggs out and candled. They are looking mighty clear, should have been able to see traces of veins plus starting of aircell. 1 or 2 might have had a trace of an air cell. Not looking good for the home team.


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## twentynine

Okay!
Had about all the wait I could take!

Candled on day 9.

Pulled 2 clear eggs, had a couple more in doubt, but left'em cooking.
Absolutely 34 developing!!!!!!!!!!

Mitt and Romney, must be up to the task.


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## ThreeJ

Good thing Mitt and Romney are doing their thing, I would hate to see them become Barbi and Que.


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## twentynine

Cranked up my old incubator to use as a hatcher. The BSL eggs will go in to the hatcher on Friday 22nd.

Started saving BSL eggs for an additional hatch, yesterday. I will set these the Saturday after I place the current set in the hatcher.


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## twentynine

It's springtime and I've gone nuts!!!!!!!

Started saving eggs for a second BSL hatch.

I am real hopeful that Mitt and Romney's blood is the added strength I've been looking for. Going for another 30-40.


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## Westelle

You sound like me...lol...more eggs always being collected for another hatch...lol


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## twentynine

Going into lockdown tomorrow, all looks good. Temperature control has been going pretty good. Every so often I have been grabbing an egg or two for a quick candling. The ones I have checked are developing on schedule.

The second BSL hatch will be set Monday morning, I hope to have close to 40 BSLs and 30-40 Rhode Island Reds in the set.


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## Energyvet

Yippee!........


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## twentynine

Lockdown has happened!


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## 513

Good luck. I don't lockdown till Friday....18 maran eggs but too dark to candle so going in blind! Good luck with your hatch!


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## twentynine

Busy day on the place. Spent the morning sending a batch of cockerals to Camp Kenmore. My hands absolutely hurt!!!!

Day 2 of lockdown going good.


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## twentynine

Ok! One day early, but I got hatching going on!

5 out, pips everywhere. Not everything but quite a few.


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## twentynine

9 out of 37 out.

6 cockerals
3 pullets


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## robopetz

Congrats! Pics!?.. They are so cute as hatchlings.


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## twentynine

10 out!

7 cockerals
3 pullets

I need more pullets, I have quite a few sold.


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## twentynine

13 out!

To many moving around in there to count cockerals and pullets.


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## robopetz

Yay, this is the fun part. They are all early birds huh!?..


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## 513

Wow good job! Are they easy to sex? What do you look out for?


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## twentynine

30 out of 37 hatched.

Sexing--- very easy. Pullets, black with maybe a little copper on feather tips. Cockerals, have a small white spot on their heads, very similar to a barred rock chick.

Oh yeah, one dead pipping. Trying to pip out of the narrow end of the egg. I had set this egg, but normally I would have excluded it, because of it's shape. Long and narrow.


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## twentynine

31 out.

15 cockerals 
16 pullets

4 of the 5 eggs remaining are pipping, the same 4 are marked the 5th, they were the last eggs collected. The remaining 1 egg is marked 28th so I believe it's a dud.


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## 513

Brill some pics would be lovely! Congratulations!


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## twentynine

34 out, looks like two duds. One of the 34 is not right.

Here's a picture.


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## robopetz

Adorable! Looks like you got more pullets just as you asked for. Congrats in your hatchlings. I hope the rest hatch well and that lil fellow makes it fine. What's not right with the chick?


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## twentynine

Final count-----

18 cockerals
15 pullets
33 total live hatched

Eggs set 39, live hatched 33, for a 84% hatch rate.

On to hatch #3 and #4.


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## robopetz

Congrats! If it was an exam you have passed! Lol


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## twentynine

I figure I would add a few observations:

The chicks are in the brooder, overall they appear to be very vigorous and strong. In previous sexlink hatches it seemed to always take a day or so for the sexlinks to start feeding, these guys went after the feed right away. This may be related to the two new roosters, mitt and Romney. I went back to the origins of the bloodline to get those guys, might have been a good idea. I'll make regular updates.


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## Jim

Great success. We set eggs again in a few days.


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## Energyvet

God are they adorable. So fuzzy and healthy looking.


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