Asking for help for a good cause

[tfs05]

Hey, Everyone. 
Thank you for your advice from "advice for a good cause".  We now have 6 Coturnix hens that lay 28 eggs/week.  We have a restaurant that is buying 1 pack of 10 eggs/wk and a small fine foods grocer that is interested in selling what we can give them.  As I explained before, this is a non-profit micro-business run by my first graders to raise money for other students in Kinshasa, Congo and Kibera, Kenya.

I don't know if it's appropriate to ask on this forum, but I was looking for anyone who might be interested in donating 7 Coturnix laying hens and the shipping costs to what we're doing.  We need to expand for this grocer, so I was trying to output 7 packs of ten per week.  This will allow us to feed, educate and shelter 4 orphans total at $25/month.  We sell the eggs to the restaurant at $5/pk and the grocer at $3.

I want to be sensitive to forum etiquette, so please ignore this request if it's inappropriate.

Thanks again

[aKirA]

Sounds like you're doing great.

If it were me, I would take some of the fertile eggs and incubate them. In no time you'll have more laying hens then you could handle. Not sure if shipping price for 7 coturnix is economical enough. For the shipping price, you could prolly buy them locally. Let's see if anyone can help. Good luck.

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

aKirA,
He wants the shipping donated also.

quote author=aKirA link=topic=3558.msg17134#msg17134 date=1182544011]
For the shipping price, you could prolly buy them locally. Let's see if anyone can help. Good luck.

Hey, Everyone. 
Thank you for your advice from "advice for a good cause".  We now have 6 Coturnix hens that lay 28 eggs/week.  We have a restaurant that is buying 1 pack of 10 eggs/wk and a small fine foods grocer that is interested in selling what we can give them.  As I explained before, this is a non-profit micro-business run by my first graders to raise money for other students in Kinshasa, Congo and Kibera, Kenya.

I don't know if it's appropriate to ask on this forum, but I was looking for anyone who might be interested in donating 7 Coturnix laying hens and the shipping costs to what we're doing.  We need to expand for this grocer, so I was trying to output 7 packs of ten per week.  This will allow us to feed, educate and shelter 4 orphans total at $25/month.  We sell the eggs to the restaurant at $5/pk and the grocer at $3.

I want to be sensitive to forum etiquette, so please ignore this request if it's inappropriate.

Thanks again

You are right, it would be in his best interest to breed and incubate the fertile eggs. I can see someone donating the birds, but to eat the shipping is another story.

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm

[tfs05]

Hmm...I see your points. 
I thought incubating would be the way to go for this year in order to gradually replenish the aging layers.  Here are some considerations that drove me to ask for donations.

1. I don't have any roosters anymore.

2. I incubated 18 eggs last year and got 2 hens out of the whole  bunch.

3. I'll have to incur costs to brood again (like starter feed).

4. Most importantly, I'm short on time.  To make the deal work with this market, I don't know if I can wait 6-8 weeks for consistent laying to happen.

I could also pay just shipping or just the hens.  I'm trying to control costs because every dime I spend takes away from the kids overseas.

Whaddya think?

[tfs05]

Thanks, by the way, for even talking about this. 

I feel like a mooch asking for anything.  This just feels like a jam, but I may just have to be more patient.

[WHITNEYPLU]

If you want to sell as many eggs as you are talking about then incubation is the only way to go. If you live in Canteral Texas I will give you 7 laying hens and male. Keep a trio for incubation and go from there. I also have a incubator (Little Giant still air with autoturner) that was my duaghters that tried to hatch a Blue Jay's eggs she found I will donate also. The only thing is shipping this is out of the question. I will meet you alway from my farm for biosecurity reasons within 30 minutes from here. The shipping for the adults including bio-boxes would around 50 dollars but with the weather over 90 here that can not be done with the birds health in mind.
Dusty

[tfs05]

Thanks for the advice.  Incubation it is!

[WHITNEYPLU]

Hows the incubation going?