How to Assess Interest in Quail Eggs?

[cereall]

I'm a senior in high school and I want to start a small quail business. My goal is to have around 30-60 coturnix quails and sell their eggs to local stores and restaurants. I've checked the government website below and it seems like I don't need to register anywhere to sell my eggs (please correct me if I'm wrong). Now I just need to check with local stores, California Fresh Market and Lassen's in particular, to see how many eggs they'd buy so I know how many quails to get. I've also seen both of those stores selling chicken eggs from a local 12 year old if that helps. Can someone advise me on how to pitch my future eggs?

 

[simon8894]

I'm a

I'm a senior in high school and I want to start a small quail business. My goal is to have around 30-60 coturnix quails and sell their eggs to local stores and restaurants. I've checked the government website below and it seems like I don't need to register anywhere to sell my eggs (please correct me if I'm wrong). Now I just need to check with local stores, California Fresh Market and Lassen's in particular, to see how many eggs they'd buy so I know how many quails to get. I've also seen both of those stores selling chicken eggs from a local 12 year old if that helps. Can someone advise me on how to pitch my future eggs?

I'm a junior in high school and want to do the same idea. Unless you will only be supplying to 2 stores or restaurants you will need more laying hens. Also do u live in so cal? I would advise to go to the small organic and natural grocery stores as your main customers

 

[cereall]

The stores I'm hoping to pitch to are in San Luis Obispo. A lot of people in the area are into health foods and there are a couple cute local stores that I would like to supply. Pitching to them is much easier because they have local owners I can talk to. My concern is how to go about talking to chain grocery stores since I can't talk to their owners, especially since I wouldn't have the eggs yet. But I chose those stores because they pride themselves on buying local. Also I've done some calculations and 60 hens should lay between 30 to 35 dozen a week. That seems like a lot to me, but I have no idea how many dozens of quail eggs a store or restaurant would go through in a week.

 

[simon8894]

The stores I'm hoping to pitch to are in San Luis Obispo. A lot of people in the area are into health foods and there are a couple cute local stores that I would like to supply. Pitching to them is much easier because they have local owners I can talk to. My concern is how to go about talking to chain grocery stores since I can't talk to their owners, especially since I wouldn't have the eggs yet. But I chose those stores because they pride themselves on buying local. Also I've done some calculations and 60 hens should lay between 30 to 35 dozen a week. That seems like a lot to me, but I have no idea how many dozens of quail eggs a store or restaurant would go through in a week. 

I asked if you live in so cal cause Iv only heard of one lassens and I shop there in Thousand Oaks. I live in westlake village currently but am moving to the horse property area of lake manor near Simi Valley and want to get into quail breeding. I'm planning more than a few hundred birds because if your pitching to local restaurants and there substituting chicken eggs for quail they will use 3-5 quail eggs for one chicken egg. Meaning they will use 3-5 dozens for every 1 dozen of chicken eggs. Also I currently buy quail eggs at the store. My family buys 5 dozen a week. A normal family eating chicken eggs will eat 1 dozen. So remember that quail eggs are of smaller size.

 

[cereall]

I forgot about the buying difference because of egg sizes, but that makes a lot of sense! To make money I'd need to have at least 30 hens and I was worried about not being able to sell 15 dozen a week. That's a big weight off my shoulders. I'm going to be looking into getting closer to 100 hens now, which is good since the pen I have is 10x10. Thanks for the info!!!

 

[simon8894]

I forgot about the buying difference because of egg sizes, but that makes a lot of sense! To make money I'd need to have at least 30 hens and I was worried about not being able to sell 15 dozen a week. That's a big weight off my shoulders. I'm going to be looking into getting closer to 100 hens now, which is good since the pen I have is 10x10. Thanks for the info!!!

Ya 100 quails should be good thats about 50 dozen a week.

 

[robdog]

Well aren't you peeps lucky, I am also a highschool senior looking to make a little side money but I've started this about a few months ago
I have sent a email regarding the selling of quail eggs to the AG Dept.

Sorry for all the question asked in this email regarding the Selling of Quail Eggs, I'm just a 17 year old trying to do everything right from the start and trying to start out a small business selling Quail eggs.

Hello,
I am trying to start selling Quail eggs to family own stores.
According the http://ucanr.edu/sites/CESonomaAgOmbuds/Selling_Fresh_Eggs/ I am not required to get a Egg handlers registrations since I will be selling quail eggs (Is that correct) instead of chicken eggs.

Correct! An Egg Handler’s Registration is only required for selling shell eggs from domesticated chickens. Egg sales from other species of fowl (turkeys, ducks, geese, quail) do not require registration with CDFA.

Also for packing the quail eggs
How do I grade them and on what scale?
What size will they be to put on the packaging?

The USDA currently has no sizing or grading standards for quail eggs as they do for chicken eggs. As there is no standard, you cannot apply a grade or size to quail eggs.

Also for a plant Id since I am sellings Quail eggs do I need one on the packaging and if I do:to get a plant Id number I need to to have a egg handler registration number which I can only get from registering for a Egg handler so necessarily do I need one?

As a quail-egg producer, you are exempt from a registration and/or plant ID from both CDFA and USDA.

Another question
Which of these marking requirements are actual marking necessary requirements for "QUAIL EGGS"
Name | Address | Zip Code | Quantity | Eggs | Keep Refrigerated | Julian Pack Date | Sell by Date | USDA or CDFA Registration Number | *Size and Grade | *Shell Egg Food Safety Compliant (or CA SEFS Compliant) |

Another great question. Measurement Standards marking regulations DO apply to you, and they are referred to as “IRQ”;
-Identity (quail eggs)
-Responsibility (who produced the product and where) this would be your name and address
-Quantity (the number of units in the package) One Dozen, 18, 24 eggs, for example.

These are the only marking requirements that are required by law for shell eggs from other species of fowl. There is no law preventing you from putting some of that information on your packaging if you choose to, so long as everything stated is true and correct. I think a sell-by date and a Julian date would be great information for your customers to have. Please do NOT put “California Shell Egg Food Safety Compliant” on your labeling as that is a set of laws and requirements very specific to chicken eggs only, so it would be an incorrect statement.

Also another question is am I required to wash the quail eggs since the quails will be rolling down on a clean metal wire platform when immediately drop from the quail. ( Example cage: GQF MFG Co. Inc.)

The California Code of Regulations (CCR) and the Food and Agricultural Code (FAC) require that eggs (from chickens) be “clean” which means washed and sanitized, however, quail eggs are also exempt from this requirement by law.

Also when collecting the quail eggs after I get this all sorted out will I have to immediately put them in the fridge and then later take them out to package them all in the same day or am I able to collect them in bulk and then package them every so often?

The law states that chicken eggs need to be collected and refrigerated within 36-hours of lay. Again, quail eggs are exempt from this requirement.
It is however, a good management practice and keeps the eggs fresher to refrigerate them as soon as feasible. You can take them back out to package them as it suits your needs.
Show original message

Thank you so much for being so diligent and interested in bringing California consumers a safe and wholesome product. This coming year, the ESQM staff will be giving several “small producer outreach” classes throughout the state. They are free for attendees and while you are exempt from a lot of the regulatory laws, the classes are very informative, and bio-security and good management practices are something we hope all in the industry are interested in. If you think you would like to attend one of these workshops, please send me your address and I’ll put you on the list for a class close to your area.

I hope this was helpful and I wish you great success in your “eggventure!”


Jenna M. Celigija
Northern/Coastal District Program Supervisor
Egg Safety & Quality Management Program
California Department of Food and Agriculture
[email protected]
Cell: 916.216.8621
Office: 916.900.5057
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the end this really helped
Also if you guys are looking for cages theres http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/grd/5870609752.html on craigslist over by victorville, Maybe not sound worth it but if you pick them up and clean them you save a easy $300-$400 off each cage.

 

[simon8894]

Well aren't you peeps lucky, I am also a highschool senior looking to make a little side money but I've started this about a few months ago I have sent a email regarding the selling of quail eggs to the AG Dept.
Sorry for all the question asked in this email regarding the Selling of Quail Eggs, I'm just a 17 year old trying to do everything right from the start and trying to start out a small business selling Quail eggs.
Hello,
I am trying to start selling Quail eggs to family own stores.
According the http://ucanr.edu/sites/CESonomaAgOmbuds/Selling_Fresh_Eggs/ I am not required to get a Egg handlers registrations since I will be selling quail eggs (Is that correct) instead of chicken eggs. Correct! An Egg Handler’s Registration is only required for selling shell eggs from domesticated chickens. Egg sales from other species of fowl (turkeys, ducks, geese, quail) do not require registration with CDFA.
Also for packing the quail eggs
How do I grade them and on what scale? What size will they be to put on the packaging? The USDA currently has no sizing or grading standards for quail eggs as they do for chicken eggs. As there is no standard, you cannot apply a grade or size to quail eggs.
Also for a plant Id since I am sellings Quail eggs do I need one on the packaging and if I do:to get a plant Id number I need to to have a egg handler registration number which I can only get from registering for a Egg handler so necessarily do I need one? As a quail-egg producer, you are exempt from a registration and/or plant ID from both CDFA and USDA.
Another question
Which of these marking requirements are actual marking necessary requirements for "QUAIL EGGS"
Name | Address | Zip Code | Quantity | Eggs | Keep Refrigerated | Julian Pack Date | Sell by Date | USDA or CDFA Registration Number | *Size and Grade | *Shell Egg Food Safety Compliant (or CA SEFS Compliant) | Another great question. Measurement Standards marking regulations DO apply to you, and they are referred to as “IRQ”; -Identity (quail eggs) -Responsibility (who produced the product and where) this would be your name and address -Quantity (the number of units in the package) One Dozen, 18, 24 eggs, for example. These are the only marking requirements that are required by law for shell eggs from other species of fowl. There is no law preventing you from putting some of that information on your packaging if you choose to, so long as everything stated is true and correct. I think a sell-by date and a Julian date would be great information for your customers to have. Please do NOT put “California Shell Egg Food Safety Compliant” on your labeling as that is a set of laws and requirements very specific to chicken eggs only, so it would be an incorrect statement.
Also another question is am I required to wash the quail eggs since the quails will be rolling down on a clean metal wire platform when immediately drop from the quail. ( Example cage: GQF MFG Co. Inc. ) The California Code of Regulations (CCR) and the Food and Agricultural Code (FAC) require that eggs (from chickens) be “clean” which means washed and sanitized, however, quail eggs are also exempt from this requirement by law.
Also when collecting the quail eggs after I get this all sorted out will I have to immediately put them in the fridge and then later take them out to package them all in the same day or am I able to collect them in bulk and then package them every so often? The law states that chicken eggs need to be collected and refrigerated within 36-hours of lay. Again, quail eggs are exempt from this requirement. It is however, a good management practice and keeps the eggs fresher to refrigerate them as soon as feasible. You can take them back out to package them as it suits your needs.
Show original message

Thank you so much for being so diligent and interested in bringing California consumers a safe and wholesome product. This coming year, the ESQM staff will be giving several “small producer outreach” classes throughout the state. They are free for attendees and while you are exempt from a lot of the regulatory laws, the classes are very informative, and bio-security and good management practices are something we hope all in the industry are interested in. If you think you would like to attend one of these workshops, please send me your address and I’ll put you on the list for a class close to your area. I hope this was helpful and I wish you great success in your “eggventure!” Jenna M. Celigija Northern/Coastal District Program Supervisor Egg Safety & Quality Management Program California Department of Food and Agriculture [COLOR=0563C1][email protected][/COLOR] Cell: 916.216.8621 Office: 916.900.5057
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In the end this really helped
Also if you guys are looking for cages theres http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/grd/5870609752.html on craigslist over by victorville, Maybe not sound worth it but if you pick them up and clean them you save a easy $300-$400 off each cage.

I noticed those cages for sale for awhile now as there only 1-2 hours away from me and on my way to my second house in Las Vegas. But I don't want to raise my quail in those type of conditions. Are you from the inland empire?

 

[simon8894]

Thanks for the advice. How much do you sell your eggs for if you don't mind me asking. And how much do your full grown hens weigh?

 

[robdog]

Thanks for the advice. How much do you sell your eggs for if you don't mind me asking. And how much do your full grown hens weigh?

My browns weigh around 10 ounces. i have around 20 females from my last batch due to leaving one cage open and my dogs. So i have to bring my numbers up before I start actually advertising to business about quail eggs.