Advice for a good cause

[tfs05]

Hey, Everyone-

I'm a teacher at a school that's connected to an orphange/clinic in the Congo.  We hatched 11 Coturnix and 17 Button quail.  The Buttons are with families now, but I kept a Texas A&M hen back for egg production.

I was going to acquire 3 more A&Ms for laying.  The idea is that my students would maintain the hens and we would sell the eggs like a bake sale (year-round, though)to raise money for this orphanage.  We're not trying to turn a major profit here.

I wanted to know if anyone had any ideas how to market the eggs locally or online?

Thank you for your help.  I don't know what I'm doing.

Thanks
Thanks for your help.

[aKirA]

You can sell them on ebay. Pple like me will buy them. But sales may be dependent on your location.

At the quantity you mentioned, I don't know if you would be able to sell them to the local restaurants. You may need more. But for year round, you would have to have your birds on artificial lighting.

You may want to try some of the quails that are a little more expensive. Like, Valley quails, Mountain quails, etc.  Not sure if available in your area/country.

Good luck.

[kcgamebirdfarm]

akira - i am not sure if tfs05 is wanting to sell them for hatching purposes - As you read his post he mentioned how he has a hen texas A&M and wanted to get a couple more - if he is wanting to sell hatching eggs then we need to hook him up with a rooster. Sounds to me like he is wanting to sell them as a delicacy as possible pickled eggs or something? and in that case that is fine until the EPA gets ahold of you cause someone choked and died on one of your pickled eggs.
 tfs05 try to fill us in a little better on what you are wanting to do with the birds
Kyle

[aKirA]

Well either way would work for fund raising purposes. Not hard to get breeding pairs for fertile eggs. ;)

Plus he's in the Congo so not sure what law applies there.

[tfs05]

Wow!  I didn't expect such fast responses.  Great questions also.

1.  I'm happy to sell eggs for hatching or consumption.  I do have a rooster as well.
I just don't know which would generate more money.  I've seen sellers on ebay but can't tell how successful they are at unloading hatching eggs and the costs seem to vary widely.  Any thoughts on whether hatching eggs or food eggs generate more profit?  Because we're doing this at the school, I didn't want to have more than 4 hens total.  Food eggs sell for $3 for a ten pack at the Chinese market here. 

2.  If everyone thinks hatching eggs are more profitable (and I can handle volume), which kinds of birds are more marketable?  Coturnix, Chinese Painted, Bobwhites, Californians?

3.  We're located in Missouri and I've already gotten the okay to sell eggs for human consumption my MO Dept. of Ag. and the local Health authorities.  We're a private school run by a church.  The church has a team that sends money, supplies, etc. to the clinic/orphanage in Congo.  I think it serves almost a hundred orphans.  Needless to say, there are plenty more that aren't served because of the limited resources of the Congo church that runs the orphanage.  That's why I wanted to get my students involved in serving in this way.

[aKirA]

ok..lol I thought you were located in the Congo.

I personally don't sell eggs. But since you already have a local restaurant to sell to, I would sell to them.
Then when you start getting extra eggs, you can sell on ebay etc.

Selling eggs for consumption, pple don't mind what type. But if selling hatching eggs, you may get a better profit margin with Bobwhites, California, or Mountain quails.

[tfs05]

Thanks, aKirA.

I'm sorry I wasn't clearer before.

I wondered about selling Bobwhites and I saw places out in California selling Buttons, but I couldn't figure out who they were selling to.

MO Dept. of Conservation doesn't want us raising Bobwhites for release although thy're native.  One of their biologists said that captive breds are "predator savvy".  Their are some wealthy locals who buy Bobwhites for bird dog training.  I don't know how this works either.

Do you mind explaining the market for Bobwhite, California, and Montain Quails?  Who buys these on Ebay?  What quantities would I need to sell?  How expensive is shipping?  Would I be able to maintain a few hens or would I need a dozen or more to keep up with demand?

Thank you so much for bothering to respond to this.  My students will appreciate this and, I hope, the kids in Congo.