[smiley bucket]

Hi, I suspect buying hatching eggs at an auction could be a real mugs game, but there are a few I fancy coming up locally and am very tempted!

This will be my very first time using my new Rcom fully automatic incubator, and I have a couple of questions about that too if imay!

Is it ok to use tap water for bringing the humidity up rather than recommended distilled water?  I'm hoping to put inch on tonight in case I buy eggs, so hope tap water will be ok.

When should I put the eggs in after buying them, should I leave them for a time after their journey before incubating them?

I know I could find answers on Google, but would love info from experienced incubator users please!

[chrismahon]

We use tap water which has been filtered but distilled is best. In time the calcium carbonate in tap water will clog the evaporating mat and water will run through it flooding the incubator.


Once saw a dozen cream legbar hatching eggs being sold at auction -they were all white, so obviously not the blue you would expect. However you can see by the size and shape what the offspring are likely to produce which is something you can't find out when buying pullets. That assumes that the eggs are not the product of some kind of cross and you will actually get the pure breed being advertised.

[mentalmilly]

l have bought maran eggs and buff sussex eggs from auction and had some lovely chicks grow up to be really nice hens with a good hatch rate. The marans hatched 6 girls and 2 boys so l was well pleased.  The buffs beautiful birds.  Have bought eggs from a breeder recently and 6 out of 15 hatched, poor.  Its a gamble either way but l shall get mine from auction in future.  I use tap water in my incubator not had any problems but we have soft water where we live.

[bigchicken]

Pays your money takes you chances. Some dodgy folk selling eggs but also some genuine folks.

[lindaball1961@gmail.com]

I've got some of my best hatches from auction bought eggs, but the local auction I go to has been going many years and has a very good reputation. Also most people are real enthusiasts and very knowledgeable. I've also bought eggs from so-called breeders and was less than impressed. I would definitely buy from my local auction again. I have used tap water in my r-com with no problem. The manufacturer recommends the evaporating mat is replaced every 6 hatches or so, if I remember correctly. I bought mine from P & T poultry through their online shop. Oh and I put my eggs in having let them rest a couple of hours as I couldn't wait! They were fine. Hope this helps, and good luck!! X

[smiley bucket]

Thanks everyone, really appreciate your advice and common sense! Exciting times ahead, will post results when I have some!

[artscott]

We have some Maran eggs in our incubator at the moment brought a Auction a couple of weeks ago.  Candled at 11 fertile from 12 so am hopeful. 


On the downside you are never sure what the birds will be like when they hatch, on the plus side I'm reasonably sure they will lay really dark brown eggs.  We have had some good light sussex and legbars brought as eggs in the past at auction, and of course the outlay is a lot less than mature birds.

[billy_wiz]

I take it from previous posts, these eggs where bought at local auction, not ebay

[lindaball1961@gmail.com]

I've bought from eBay, local poultry auction and local breeders. Of these the eBay bought eggs were the least successful, one local breeder I was very disappointed with, the chicks were not the breed I'd asked for. The other 2 local breeders I have used I have been thrilled with, beautiful clean eggs and fantastic hatch rate. Also the bonus of seeing the parent birds and the conditions they are kept in. I would definitely use these breeders again, or eggs from my local auction