First lockdown and temp fluctuations?

[LastChanceRanch]

Ok so i gotta ask since i'm a first timer. . . I'm on lockdown since yesterday. I ONLY open to add water. Well, when I add water the temp drops to right around 99 degrees. I add hot faucet water. I also have a still air so been maintaining at 101.5. It usually takes a couple hours to climb back up. Is this acceptable and how low is "accepable"?

 

[neferset]

If you are only dropping to 99 degrees, I wouldn't worry about it. If it were 95, definitely do something about it, but 99 or 98, I don't sweat it too much in lock down. I took my turners out and have been averaging 99 ever since (yeah, auto turners put out a degree or so!). But it is recommended to lower the temp slightly when you are in lock down. I don't tend to bother with that and haven't noticed any issues, but I don't panic if the temps drop a bit of their own when I take out the turners, etc.

Just sit tight and wait. I'll wait with you. I'm in lock down for a Thanksgiving hatch (I have some Seramas in so I went early).

 

[LastChanceRanch]

Thanks! I was pretty sure we were fine as long as it was in the upper 90s, but so nice to hear it from someone who has done this before

My 2 year old and I are both impatiently waiting for the babies to appear. We had 12 of our original 14 go into lockdown yesterday morning. He runs downstairs every morning asking to see the baby chickens. We're also video recording it just in case they are night owls!

I'm hatching d'uccles. Is it true that banties come earlier?

 

[Paganbird]

My bantams didn't hatch any earlier than the standard chicks.
When you add water, are you adding warm water?
Try adding warm water through one of the vent openings with a straw.
I keep my hatcher temp at about 98 degrees.

 

[Goose and Fig]

I usually just fill all the bator trays before lockdown- that's why they call it "lockdown. If for some reason the humidity doesn't get high enough by filling the reservoirs- I'll add a warm wet washcloth. Every time you open the bator to add water- you are lowering the humidity, which IMO is more important than dropping the temp a degree or so.

I've never had to refill the tubs during a hatch unless it was a staggered one.

 

[neferset]

A turkey baster also works nicely for adding water in the styrofoam bators. You can add right through the plug holes. I keep a cup underneath one and the sponges under the other just for the purpose. (Our weather has been a little odd. I want to find a room humidifier if I ever hatch during fall again. I actually have had the wells in the bator dry up during lockdown in less than a day. What I said above is what I do for that.) Right now, I'm running a little high, but I have ducks in so they might need it.

The only bantam that I've heard of coming early is the Serama. Otherwise, they come at the same time as any other chick, unless you had temps too warm at some point, which will make any chick come early. Been there...

 

[LastChanceRanch]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

Yes I do ad warm, "hot faucet" water, but I tried the turkey baster trick today and everything remained nice and stable.

I WISH I did not have to fill the wells or use extra sponges but unfortunately we don't have a humidfier on the house and during this time of year in Michigan it is very dry. Everything can dry up in 24 hours if I let it.

Anyways!!! I'm looking foward to my first hatch coming tomorrow! WISH ME LUCK!!