4th Annual BYC NYD Hatch-a-long

[chiqita]

You read it in one day!   Did you sleep?  LOL  I am not so excited for the end, as I just didn't think the last few books were nearly as good as the first part of the series.  Maybe I was just to impatient, because there was so much going on, you really didn't get to read much about any one character.    What did you think of the last one?

I found it satisfying. Lots of batte lot of death lots of reunion, I sniffled a lot. I find Sanderson funnier then Jordan. And I liked it in this book.

Dh and I just sat there reading. He stayed up till 4 am. I still finished first but I'm a faster reader. He liked I too but he also liked the other Sanderson books. I also like how fast he wrote! Jordan would never have finished. He used to spend a week polishing 2 sentences.

Now if David gerrold will just write something I'll be happy

Hey everyone, I'm hoping you can help me faster than searching the internet.  I've been looking, but haven't found the right search words yet.  My little pasty butt serama chick isn't so pasty anymore, but I just noticed a hard knot in his belly near and to the side of his belly button.  I'm "force" feeding him sugar water with a dropper and massaging his belly.  Is this all I can do?  Help would really be appreciated.  Thanks so much!

I'm sorry I don't have any idea on that one, good luck

 

[cluck-cluck]

Nah, it's not the belly button, it's a big (for this little thing) lump. I just cleaned out the Nestquick box and OMG, there was a TON of very dry droppings! almost like a mouse made them only they're definitely from a chick (white on one end). all of them bone dry and loose, like they never even remotely stuck to the paper towel! After about oh, I dunno, a long while of getting it to sip a tiny bit of sugar water and massaging his belly at the lump, he pooped a little bit. Semi dry stuff. He was getting really exhausted I think, his little legs shook a bit when I massaged though he was quiet and his eyes were closed, I was afraid it was painful. Finally I thought he needed a break, so I put him back with his buddy, and the bugger started EATING! Grrr! Maybe he needs even smaller food than chick mash, maybe he's eating too big pieces? I really don't want to lose him, but he is a little perky right now??

Picture of poop

And a picture of his bum earlier today


I sure hope he passes what is there, and that he starts eating the fermented feed I just gave them 'cause it'll have moisture in it. It hasn't been fermented very long, but it looks like it at least absorbed the water. This is the same mash they've been eating (starter) but wet. Both of them have turned their noses up at it, little buggers! They were both digging in on the dry stuff only moments before!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I have a few winners to announce

Best Hatch Participant: Sally Sunshine
2nd Place Ronott1


Guess the First 3 Chicks mrheinz77 will hatch: Debs_Flock

ME? I thought everyone was mad at me for posting so much! Really??? Thats wow really? I have smacked my own hands and have now refrained from posting!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: You guys Are awesome!! Ron those updates SAVED ALOT OF US !!!

 

[Brookhavens]

ME? I thought everyone was mad at me for posting so much! Really??? Thats wow really? I have smacked my own hands and have now refrained from posting!

Congrats Sally!!!

 

[Brookhavens]

You guys Are awesome!! Ron those updates SAVED ALOT OF US !!!

x2. Loved the updates!!!

 

[mrheinz77]

ME? I thought everyone was mad at me for posting so much!  Really???  Thats wow really? I have smacked my own hands and have now refrained from posting!

Sally, please don't refrain from posting. Many people look forward to your posts.

 

[karimw]

Congrats to Sally and Ron! I always look forward to your posts. This thread was a bugger to keep up with.

Thanks to MrHeinz and the rest of the team for running this show! It was a little much for me and I wasn't even involved.

I know it's not asked for, but here is my 2 cents on getting the hatch-alongs under control. My advise would be to limit things a little bit. In my opinion the Hatch-Along should be for hatchers - not all of BYC. Also Quantity does not equal Quality. I gave up on a lot of contests because I didn't want to read through 1000 posts of nothing. I'm not trying to offend anyone, but I don't have that kind of time on my hands

 

[LoneStarHen]

Is there somewhere where the total number of eggs set and total number of chicks hatched is posted? I'd love to see it.

This was a stressful hatch. I collected my eggs, but my whole family got sick right around set time, so I hadn't had my incubator running long enough to put the eggs in on set day. I got them in on the 15th of Dec. I can't remember if I put 40 or 42 eggs in the incubator. Anyway, I ran the incubator for three days with no issues before I put the eggs in. I put the eggs in on a Saturday and the incubator was fine until I got up the next Monday morning and the temp was 110.

I figured all the eggs were done for at that point. It was fine when I went to bed, and then when I got up it had spiked. First time that incubator has ever spiked before. I almost threw in the towel, but I decided to keep going and see what happens. I candled on days 8 and 12. I threw out several eggs that were clear. It appeared that everything was going ok, but I was still skeptical. Then on day 20... I had peeping. I was excited! It took them right at 24 hours to pip after the peeps. I had a couple start hatching, and then it was a hatching frenzy. After the majority of them hatched I very quickly took them out of the incubator and put them in the brooder, but there were several eggs left. (I know, I know, keep it closed. The humidity never dropped below 70%)

I got 25 chicks that all seemed to hatch really close together, then another 5 that just lagged on and on. The 5 that lagged never really thrived and I didn't have much hope for them. Out of the 5 that lagged, one died really close to hatching, two more died this morning, one is still not doing well, another has an umbilical hernia. I did the band-aid thing, but I don't think he will make it. The two not doing well are still in the incubator.

There were 4 that were turned the wrong way in the eggs and died. I had my very first birth defect in the past 4 years I've hatched eggs. It was a chick that was fully formed, but didn't have a face. It was moving when I opened the egg, but once I got the egg opened it had no way of breathing. I culled it asap.

I'm shocked that I had so many healthy, vigorous chicks with that temp spike. I'm glad I didn't give up on them! Thanks Hatch-a-Long for motivating me to pull out the incubator!

 

[SleepyOwl]

Quote: I didn't even like the last couple that Jordan wrote. Ah well, it has been a few years since I have read that series, so your post (and a friend of mine's excitement about the last book coming out) has prompted me to read them again.

The last two books that I read, I just read the book without reading the whole series first... maybe I will like them better if I re-read everything. (And since I like the first books better anyway...

)

I haven't read anyhing by David Gerrold.