Illinois...

Does anybody know anything about the legalities surrounding the selling of quail eggs in Illinois? Would the rules pertaining to chicken eggs apply or are quail exempt from these regulations?
I do not know much specifically about selling quail eggs. In IL, a "small flock" owner may sell eggs from his/her home without much issue. (Small flock is a big number - like over 100 birds!) I believe the idea is that the customer could always look over the fence to see the condition of the flock. If you want to bring eggs to sell at a farmer's market or small store, restaurant, etc, then you would need an egg license. (Must grade, candle, wash, weigh, & refrigerate eggs. Then use only NEW egg cartons. There's probably also a fee and inspections to deal with.) I find that there are so many people willing to buy eggs, that I must turn most away.

I never did figure out what to do with my glut of quail eggs. If a customer wanted, I just slipped 2 quail eggs in exchange for a chicken egg. However, my kids ate most of the little eggs. They enjoyed the popularity in the lunchroom. LOL Our quail stopped laying for the year. We ate a few birds, but I really wish I could tell genders before making those decisions...
 
Anyone want to play guess that gender!?!
These chicks are 5 weeks old. All are purebred orps. I color coded them with head spots, so I can keep track of them. It also makes it fun when people come to buy them. :lol: More than once, people made comments about how they never knew that chickens came in such pretty colors. :th



These 2 are my best bets for males, but I'm not 100% sure. Normally, their combs would be this size by 2 weeks & doubled by 5 weeks.
BLUE
IMG_5036.jpg IMG_5039.jpg
LIGHT BLUE
IMG_5048.jpg IMG_5050.jpg
Pic below shows blue on back left & light blue right/front
IMG_5103 - Copy.jpg


My best guesses for females:
WHITE (NO MARK)
*This is Jewel's baby = a possible blue orp sport or lav orp. Chick looked white at hatch but is looking lavender now. Pretty sure it's female, though.
IMG_5013.jpg IMG_5018.jpg
PINK
IMG_5031.jpg IMG_5105.jpg IMG_5099.jpg

GREEN
IMG_5008.jpg IMG_5009.jpg IMG_5121.jpg


Completely confused on the genders of these last two:
Part of it could be because they were hyper when photographed so they look flushed.

PURPLE
IMG_5069.jpg IMG_5070.jpg IMG_5118.jpg

BLACK
IMG_5083.jpg IMG_5089.jpg IMG_5120.jpg



Some random group shots:
IMG_5101.JPG IMG_5102.JPG IMG_5109.JPG IMG_5116.JPG
 
@Faraday40
I will keep the offer to visit in mind. I will have to arrive on my bicycle. Cant chance by car. Chicken math might overwhelm me and I would have additions to my coop.:lau:lau:lau:lau:lau:lau:lau


I'm always looking for ways to get the chicken numbers down, so a visit in a roomy SUV or mini van would be welcome. ;) How else do you think I can spread my orpington addiction around the Chicagoland area? My lav orps have also gone to homes in WI, MI, IA, IN, WI, MO, & MN.
 
I do not know much specifically about selling quail eggs. In IL, a "small flock" owner may sell eggs from his/her home without much issue. (Small flock is a big number - like over 100 birds!) I believe the idea is that the customer could always look over the fence to see the condition of the flock. If you want to bring eggs to sell at a farmer's market or small store, restaurant, etc, then you would need an egg license. (Must grade, candle, wash, weigh, & refrigerate eggs. Then use only NEW egg cartons. There's probably also a fee and inspections to deal with.) I find that there are so many people willing to buy eggs, that I must turn most away.

I never did figure out what to do with my glut of quail eggs. If a customer wanted, I just slipped 2 quail eggs in exchange for a chicken egg. However, my kids ate most of the little eggs. They enjoyed the popularity in the lunchroom. LOL Our quail stopped laying for the year. We ate a few birds, but I really wish I could tell genders before making those decisions...


Thank you for the reply! I was hoping there would be some sort of loophole around the egg grading system so I could sell to restaurants, I guess not. Guess I'll just sell to the locals LOL. As for the genders, have you ever tried using the call test or vent sexing?
 
Thank you for the reply! I was hoping there would be some sort of loophole around the egg grading system so I could sell to restaurants, I guess not. Guess I'll just sell to the locals LOL. As for the genders, have you ever tried using the call test or vent sexing?
I tried vent sexing, but the Texas A&M all look the same unless breeding (when the male bulge appears) I tried looking at the Coturnix, which I can tell gender by feather pattern, & their vents look the same too. I see no foam droppings & have not heard those cute laser gun sounds since Sept. I haven't tried the "call test" Is that basically playing a recording & waiting for a male to reply?

Are your quail still laying? My Aug 5th hatch just never matured. Some males began crowing but no eggs appeared. Now they're all "off" - including the spring hatch.
 
Did the injured little chicken make it?
Is the hawk still on a stake out in your yard or has it moved on? (The Coopers Hawks are the worst b/c they will stay for weeks. The bigger ones often just do a daily fly by.)
Little 'lucky' started eating wednesday :wee.. I have that brood locked up still in the bachelor coop... a hen and ten 8wk chicks are not happy in a 8x8 coop... the rest of the flock has been out and no issues... I may let the brood out Sunday ... Maybe lucky will be wanting to go out by then.. She is not wanting out of the dog crate yet.
I have not seen that hawk again so hopefully he has moved on... the redtails are still around next door hunting the high power line and my cousins hayfields... the only time they have bothered the chickens was a juvenile when the ground was covered by snow.. and judging by the feathers in the coop then, it tangled w/a turkey .. turkey was only missing a handful of feathers ..no chickies were hurt then.. just had the bejeebers scared out of them .. and me LOL
 
I tried vent sexing, but the Texas A&M all look the same unless breeding (when the male bulge appears) I tried looking at the Coturnix, which I can tell gender by feather pattern, & their vents look the same too. I see no foam droppings & have not heard those cute laser gun sounds since Sept. I haven't tried the "call test" Is that basically playing a recording & waiting for a male to reply?

Are your quail still laying? My Aug 5th hatch just never matured. Some males began crowing but no eggs appeared. Now they're all "off" - including the spring hatch.

Lol that call test might work, but the call test I was referring to was when you put a quail that you're questioning the gender of in a separate pen and listen to what calls they make when they call for the others. I don't have any Coturnix coturnix yet (hoping for a good hatch to start me off in the next few days) but I have buttons and without the artificial light I supply they wouldn't be laying now. It seems like you don't provide any light for your quail, which is probably why your August hatch never started laying.
 

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