I wanted to share with others what I have done in order to be able to sell Coturnix Quail eggs for consumption.
Here in Colorado Coturnix Quail eggs do NOT fall under the Dept of Agriculture Egg laws/act/statutes. You MUST contact your State Dept. of Agriculture for the answer as to whether or not Quail Eggs fall under Dept. of Agg Egg producer rules for application and sale!
Colorado Dept. of Ag. Egg office director told me to contact my local Health Dept. Food Safety/Consumer Safety division. I did and submitted this written plan. I was inspected briefly and approved. I then had to apply for a CDPHE (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment) "Wholesale Food Supplier" (A very easy online task, print application after searching for whole sale food supplier on your state health website, print, sign, send in).
Because I produce so few eggs right now, I did not have to pay any fee. They issue a number to you so that you can keep it in your records....REMEMBER, "OWNER'S MANUAL" = All laws, permits, information on purchase, vaccination, etc. etc. relating to your species, including Municipal, County, State, Federal AND in this case, NOW I ADD "Dept of Health" documents.
You will see in my written plan that I had intended to let the birds be housed outside of the Quail house. This has yet to be done successfully. Currently I am building an environmentally enriched (read- edible plants, sand boxes, shade, cover) outside enclosure off of the ground. I may simply put the large 30" by 30" rabbit cages in an open protected lush area of my gardens that allow fresh air and add in the edible plants. I do not want to risk "laying strikes" as now the Natural Food store is asking me to provide 12 dozen every two weeks.
Also, now we are discussing using the non sold eggs as a cooked snack from their deli. Using a pickled egg recipe or Chinese Tea Egg recipe. They will probably sell faster that way. People in our town FLOCK to this natural food store (like a mini "Whole Foods") for lunch made with the organic or naturally grown or made food they sell.
1. Check with your State Dept. of Agricuture Egg Producer Law.
2. Check with your State Division of Wildlife on the legality of keeping Coturnix and have a permit if needed.
3. Check with your Municpal and County law and have a business license.
4. Look up Food Safety or Consumer Safety laws/acts with the aid of your local Health Dept. Food Safety representative. Know your State's requirements for the Cold Hold temperature for Eggs. Most States consider them a "potentially hazardous food" (they have enough protien and perfect environment for bacteria to grow and "go bad"). *see sample plan.
5. Submit plan, adhere to it, expect inspection. Register with your state Dept of Health as a Whole sale food provider (no fee in my state , as I am too small).
6. If you receive a letter approving you, keep it and give copies of it to any grocery or resturant who would want to sell your eggs.
Anyway on to the plan:****************
YOUR FARM NAME also YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
YOUR PHONE
YOUR WEBSITE AND OR EMAIL
NO WILDLIFE PERMIT NEEDED FOR KEEPING THIS NON NATIVE GAME BIRD AS PER COLORADO DIVISION OF WILDLIFE CHAPTER 11. *Confirmed with Durango office.
THIS BIRD AND ITS EGGS ARE NOT REGULATED BY DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND NOT CONSIDERED AGRICULTURE PRODUCT PER SE. THEY ARE THEREFORE REFERRED TO THE LOCAL FOOD SAFETY DIV. OF LOCAL HEALTH DEPT.*Confirmed and directed by Dept. of Ag Egg Producer office State of Colorado March and again in April 2011.
"YOUR ADDRESSN HERE" is a CLOSED facility. This means no other persons my come into the Quail room, no new birds, equipment from any other farm may enter the address. Any new bird to the facility must be quarantined for 21 days as per the Colorado State Veterinarian. Foot baths of Tektrol disinfectant are placed at entry and exit points. Lab coats are provided for authorized visits.
All 24 to 36 Coturnix Quail hens are kept in wire bottom and sided cages/runs. Nesting baskets with clean pine shaving or excelsior padding on the bottom for egg cleanliness. Sand dust baths are also provided for the Quail. These plastic boxes are cleaned via dishwasher using 110 or greater water temperature and bleach base detergent. Sand is replaced daily. Quail tend to prefer to lay their eggs in the sand or shavings, providing a clean egg 95% of the time. Extra precaution for clean eggs is in the form of the wire flooring, where fecal matter drops 2 inches below the Quail into a tray, which is removed and cleaned daily with bleach solution and lined with pine shavings and baking soda (to reduce odor thereby reducing fly attraction).
Quail pens are kept enclosed in a building with windows allowing natural lighting from the south and east. Ventilation is provided using screened windows, to prevent fly or insect entry.
Quail are allowed to experience outdoors via raised Quail tractor (covered wired bottomed wire run, that can be moved about pasture or grass land for grazing and general humane environmental enrichment, sunshine, fresh air and health). Quail are transferred back into clean cages in late afternoon, which is when they tend to lay. So begins the collection, cleaning and storage for delivery process.
Even under the best of conditions, some dirty eggs will still be produced. These eggs will be placed in a separate container at gathering time so they can't soil clean eggs.
Dirty / and really ALL of the Coturnix eggs are washed in water that is at least 20°F warmer than the eggs. A good water temperature should be no more than 120°F and no less than 110°F. Hands in rubber gloves can tolerate these temperatures. This water temperature causes the egg contents to expand and prevent entry of microbe contaminated water through the shell pores. We wash each egg separately. If we have only a few eggs (12 or less) wash them under the water tap. Larger numbers of eggs require greater attention. We make up basins of detergent and rinse water, each containing 1 to 2 gallons of solution. We use a non-foaming, unscented detergent, such as commercial enzymatic egg cleanser. We change the detergent and rinse water after cleaning each 3 to 4 dozen eggs. We do not soak the eggs before or during cleaning. Each egg will be rinsed in clean water,
After washing the eggs, they will sanitized by dipping or spraying. To dip, we make up a basin containing 1 to 2 gallons of 120°F water and bleach at 100-200 ppm chlorine. A 200 ppm chlorine solution can be made by mixing 1 oz bleach with 1 gallon of water. To spray eggs, a watering can with 120°F water and bleach at 100-200 ppm is good.
The eggs will dry on racks, using 1/2 in. hardware cloth. Putting the eggs directly in the refrigerator, still in their baskets or washer flats, is the simplest method. However we purchase large pulp style egg collection flats (holding 50 eggs) for storage and even/fast cooling. Each flat is dated on collection/storage. The Quail eggs have their OWN REFRIGERATOR from which a temperature reading for 41 to 45 degrees F , will be taken every 12 hrs and documented on a chart kept on the side of the unit. When we receive orders, eggs are put in cartons, with the handler wearing latex or similar food handling gloves.
Each dozen of eggs are placed in a new plastic carton. The name of YOUR FARM HERE will be used with the address of ........... and the phone number of ........., on the label of the carton. A USDA nutritional fact sticker will also be placed on the under side of the 12 count carton of Quail eggs. A safe handling practice for eggs sticker will also be placed on the carton. *There is also safe egg handling verbiage on YOUR FARM HERE website.
The date the eggs were laid/collected will be stamped on the carton. It will be suggested to use by three weeks after laying date (although under proper refrigeration at 45 degrees F the eggs will remain satisfactory for consumption for up to a month and a half ).
All cartons of eggs delivered from YOUR ADDRESS HERE, will have been cleaned, dipped, held at proper temp, and delivered held at 41 degrees F. Using a small cooling carrier in which a thermometer will be placed to ensure proper holding temp during delivery.
All unused eggs can be disposed of, or hard boiled, ground and mixed into the Quail rations fed, as a protein supplement.
******************Discussing using un sold eggs for boiling and selling as snack food in the Deli.... The Grocery Store Deli is it's own approved and inspected kitchen/commisary and can do this if they wish (check State to State...it is not your responsiblity though).
***********I do not take responsiblity for any success or failure of this plan in your local area. This is merely a suggested plan to submit to a Health Dept for selling Coturnix Quail Eggs for consumption. I am not an attorney and this is not legal advise. It is only meant for educational sharing. If you have differences with my technique or suggestions, that is all fine, as I am always learning.
*Please note- I did plagiarize quite a bit of this from a document from Gunnison Colorado University/Health Dept available online. So there are other "guides" out there. You just have to look and know what your Health inspector is looking for. I just wanted to share.
If we can make this a sticky it would be a good thing.
Respectfully,
Tonya
Here in Colorado Coturnix Quail eggs do NOT fall under the Dept of Agriculture Egg laws/act/statutes. You MUST contact your State Dept. of Agriculture for the answer as to whether or not Quail Eggs fall under Dept. of Agg Egg producer rules for application and sale!
Colorado Dept. of Ag. Egg office director told me to contact my local Health Dept. Food Safety/Consumer Safety division. I did and submitted this written plan. I was inspected briefly and approved. I then had to apply for a CDPHE (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment) "Wholesale Food Supplier" (A very easy online task, print application after searching for whole sale food supplier on your state health website, print, sign, send in).
Because I produce so few eggs right now, I did not have to pay any fee. They issue a number to you so that you can keep it in your records....REMEMBER, "OWNER'S MANUAL" = All laws, permits, information on purchase, vaccination, etc. etc. relating to your species, including Municipal, County, State, Federal AND in this case, NOW I ADD "Dept of Health" documents.
You will see in my written plan that I had intended to let the birds be housed outside of the Quail house. This has yet to be done successfully. Currently I am building an environmentally enriched (read- edible plants, sand boxes, shade, cover) outside enclosure off of the ground. I may simply put the large 30" by 30" rabbit cages in an open protected lush area of my gardens that allow fresh air and add in the edible plants. I do not want to risk "laying strikes" as now the Natural Food store is asking me to provide 12 dozen every two weeks.
Also, now we are discussing using the non sold eggs as a cooked snack from their deli. Using a pickled egg recipe or Chinese Tea Egg recipe. They will probably sell faster that way. People in our town FLOCK to this natural food store (like a mini "Whole Foods") for lunch made with the organic or naturally grown or made food they sell.
1. Check with your State Dept. of Agricuture Egg Producer Law.
2. Check with your State Division of Wildlife on the legality of keeping Coturnix and have a permit if needed.
3. Check with your Municpal and County law and have a business license.
4. Look up Food Safety or Consumer Safety laws/acts with the aid of your local Health Dept. Food Safety representative. Know your State's requirements for the Cold Hold temperature for Eggs. Most States consider them a "potentially hazardous food" (they have enough protien and perfect environment for bacteria to grow and "go bad"). *see sample plan.
5. Submit plan, adhere to it, expect inspection. Register with your state Dept of Health as a Whole sale food provider (no fee in my state , as I am too small).
6. If you receive a letter approving you, keep it and give copies of it to any grocery or resturant who would want to sell your eggs.
Anyway on to the plan:****************
YOUR FARM NAME also YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
YOUR PHONE
YOUR WEBSITE AND OR EMAIL
NO WILDLIFE PERMIT NEEDED FOR KEEPING THIS NON NATIVE GAME BIRD AS PER COLORADO DIVISION OF WILDLIFE CHAPTER 11. *Confirmed with Durango office.
THIS BIRD AND ITS EGGS ARE NOT REGULATED BY DEPT OF AGRICULTURE AND NOT CONSIDERED AGRICULTURE PRODUCT PER SE. THEY ARE THEREFORE REFERRED TO THE LOCAL FOOD SAFETY DIV. OF LOCAL HEALTH DEPT.*Confirmed and directed by Dept. of Ag Egg Producer office State of Colorado March and again in April 2011.
"YOUR ADDRESSN HERE" is a CLOSED facility. This means no other persons my come into the Quail room, no new birds, equipment from any other farm may enter the address. Any new bird to the facility must be quarantined for 21 days as per the Colorado State Veterinarian. Foot baths of Tektrol disinfectant are placed at entry and exit points. Lab coats are provided for authorized visits.
All 24 to 36 Coturnix Quail hens are kept in wire bottom and sided cages/runs. Nesting baskets with clean pine shaving or excelsior padding on the bottom for egg cleanliness. Sand dust baths are also provided for the Quail. These plastic boxes are cleaned via dishwasher using 110 or greater water temperature and bleach base detergent. Sand is replaced daily. Quail tend to prefer to lay their eggs in the sand or shavings, providing a clean egg 95% of the time. Extra precaution for clean eggs is in the form of the wire flooring, where fecal matter drops 2 inches below the Quail into a tray, which is removed and cleaned daily with bleach solution and lined with pine shavings and baking soda (to reduce odor thereby reducing fly attraction).
Quail pens are kept enclosed in a building with windows allowing natural lighting from the south and east. Ventilation is provided using screened windows, to prevent fly or insect entry.
Quail are allowed to experience outdoors via raised Quail tractor (covered wired bottomed wire run, that can be moved about pasture or grass land for grazing and general humane environmental enrichment, sunshine, fresh air and health). Quail are transferred back into clean cages in late afternoon, which is when they tend to lay. So begins the collection, cleaning and storage for delivery process.
Even under the best of conditions, some dirty eggs will still be produced. These eggs will be placed in a separate container at gathering time so they can't soil clean eggs.
Dirty / and really ALL of the Coturnix eggs are washed in water that is at least 20°F warmer than the eggs. A good water temperature should be no more than 120°F and no less than 110°F. Hands in rubber gloves can tolerate these temperatures. This water temperature causes the egg contents to expand and prevent entry of microbe contaminated water through the shell pores. We wash each egg separately. If we have only a few eggs (12 or less) wash them under the water tap. Larger numbers of eggs require greater attention. We make up basins of detergent and rinse water, each containing 1 to 2 gallons of solution. We use a non-foaming, unscented detergent, such as commercial enzymatic egg cleanser. We change the detergent and rinse water after cleaning each 3 to 4 dozen eggs. We do not soak the eggs before or during cleaning. Each egg will be rinsed in clean water,
After washing the eggs, they will sanitized by dipping or spraying. To dip, we make up a basin containing 1 to 2 gallons of 120°F water and bleach at 100-200 ppm chlorine. A 200 ppm chlorine solution can be made by mixing 1 oz bleach with 1 gallon of water. To spray eggs, a watering can with 120°F water and bleach at 100-200 ppm is good.
The eggs will dry on racks, using 1/2 in. hardware cloth. Putting the eggs directly in the refrigerator, still in their baskets or washer flats, is the simplest method. However we purchase large pulp style egg collection flats (holding 50 eggs) for storage and even/fast cooling. Each flat is dated on collection/storage. The Quail eggs have their OWN REFRIGERATOR from which a temperature reading for 41 to 45 degrees F , will be taken every 12 hrs and documented on a chart kept on the side of the unit. When we receive orders, eggs are put in cartons, with the handler wearing latex or similar food handling gloves.
Each dozen of eggs are placed in a new plastic carton. The name of YOUR FARM HERE will be used with the address of ........... and the phone number of ........., on the label of the carton. A USDA nutritional fact sticker will also be placed on the under side of the 12 count carton of Quail eggs. A safe handling practice for eggs sticker will also be placed on the carton. *There is also safe egg handling verbiage on YOUR FARM HERE website.
The date the eggs were laid/collected will be stamped on the carton. It will be suggested to use by three weeks after laying date (although under proper refrigeration at 45 degrees F the eggs will remain satisfactory for consumption for up to a month and a half ).
All cartons of eggs delivered from YOUR ADDRESS HERE, will have been cleaned, dipped, held at proper temp, and delivered held at 41 degrees F. Using a small cooling carrier in which a thermometer will be placed to ensure proper holding temp during delivery.
All unused eggs can be disposed of, or hard boiled, ground and mixed into the Quail rations fed, as a protein supplement.
******************Discussing using un sold eggs for boiling and selling as snack food in the Deli.... The Grocery Store Deli is it's own approved and inspected kitchen/commisary and can do this if they wish (check State to State...it is not your responsiblity though).
***********I do not take responsiblity for any success or failure of this plan in your local area. This is merely a suggested plan to submit to a Health Dept for selling Coturnix Quail Eggs for consumption. I am not an attorney and this is not legal advise. It is only meant for educational sharing. If you have differences with my technique or suggestions, that is all fine, as I am always learning.
*Please note- I did plagiarize quite a bit of this from a document from Gunnison Colorado University/Health Dept available online. So there are other "guides" out there. You just have to look and know what your Health inspector is looking for. I just wanted to share.
If we can make this a sticky it would be a good thing.
Respectfully,
Tonya
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