How Much do Quail Eggs Cost?

Quail eggs offer a tasty and nutrition-packed alternative to chicken eggs. Their rich flavor and tiny size make them fun to cook with too!

Priced as luxury specialty items, quail eggs usually cost between $3 and $9 per dozen retail on average. Buying in bulk cases of 100+ may save around 30%.

How Much do Quail Eggs Cost?

So as already said above, quail eggs usually cost between $3 and $9 per dozen retail on average. Across natural grocers, co-ops and farmers markets, expect to pay:

• Jumbo chicken eggs: $2 to $4 per dozen
• Quail eggs: $3 to $6 per dozen on the low end
• Quail eggs: $6 to $12 per dozen on the high end

As you can see, quail eggs retail for 300-700% over chicken eggs at just $0.25 to $0.35 each. Cases of 100 pastured quail eggs generally cost $60 to $120 in total.

A Life Of Heritage suggests that farmers start the price for quail eggs at $4.00-$5.00, or a price of their choosing, and seeing how the market responds. According to them, the price for any homegrown or farm-raised item will vary by location.

The Butcher Shoppe offers quail eggs at $6.00 for a tray of 18 eggs. The eggs come from a small, family-owned farm in Saint Anns, Ontario.

The Pickled Store on the other hand offers pickled quail eggs at various prices, such as a quail egg bundle for $56.90, Cajun style pickled quail eggs for $69.99, and jalapeño pickled quail eggs for $12.99.

You can also find quail eggs on Amazon. The price of a set of 24 fresh quail eggs on Amazon is $20.49.

Broken Arrow Ranch Sells fresh quail eggs for $13.65. The eggs are great for salads, pickling, or making very small omelets.

Buying direct from regional specialty farms will get you the best pricing and peak freshness. Search through online farm directories or visit farmers markets to connect with reputable local suppliers before each quail egg harvest season.

Insider Tip: If vendors sell out each week in minutes, politely ask to join preorder lists so you lock in the most competitively priced inventory before it’s gone!

Factors That Influence Quail Egg Prices

As artisanal farm products, several seasonal and regional factors influence price swings beyond normal retail rates:

Supply & Demand Imbalances –  When short heatwaves or bitter cold snaps decrease production, prices per dozen spike. So stock up when supplies overflow for the best deals!

Out-of-season fluctuations – Northern farms often halt winter production, while Southern suppliers fill gaps. This flux allows the rare out-of-season originators to charge more.

Farming Methodologies  – Pasture-raised quail that forage on grass and bugs will produce smaller, more variable eggs than controlled commercial feeds. However many health-conscious shoppers gladly pay extra for the nutritional diversity.

Delivery Logistics – With highly perishable inventory, poorer rural transportation route access can affect suppliers’ scale efficiencies. Delivery expenses get calculated into final local pricing.

Ask Vendor Insights – Curious about an exceptionally high or low listing compared to other sellers? Politely ask about their unique growing practices that impact pricing. Transparency builds customer trust.

What Drives Quail Egg Costs Higher at Retail?

We can boil down the reasons for quail egg prices going up to four important supply and demand factors:

No Mass Production Scale – Chicken eggs thrive through mass mechanized factory systems making cheap eggs by the millions. Far fewer farms specialize in quail. This limits supply volume to drive prices up.

Special Housing and Feed – Quail need customized cage systems with proper lighting and climate controls to sustain hyper-efficient egg production. High-protein feeds also cost more. Expenses get passed to consumers.

Labor-Intensive Husbandry – Delicate quail demand more caretaker attention checking on daily health and safety compared to sturdy chickens. The manual effort of collecting eggs across multiple small enclosures also adds labor costs.

Premium Positioning – By selling quail eggs alongside other artisanal farm products like goat cheese and preserves, vendors position quail eggs as top-shelf specialty items.

Comparing Quail Eggs to Chicken Eggs

The most obvious difference is size. Quail eggs weigh just 10-12 grams compared to 50-60 grams for large chicken eggs. You could fit 4-5 tiny quail eggs inside a single chicken egg!

You might also like our articles on the cost of chicken eggs, duck eggs, or ostrich eggs.

Since they’re so small, recipes usually call for more quail eggs to equal one chicken egg:

• 1 chicken egg = 4 quail eggs
• 1/4 cup chicken egg = about 5-6 quail eggs

Their shells also look different. Chicken eggs come in various brown and white shades. Quail egg shells are uniformly light brown with dark speckles all over.

When cracked open, the yolk color tends to be richer orange in quail eggs as well. And the yolk makes up a larger portion relative to the white.

But how do they actually taste in comparison?

How Do Quail Eggs Taste Compared to Chicken Eggs?

Most people describe quail eggs as having a richer, more savory and more complex flavor than chicken eggs. Their yolks are almost creamy.

However, diet greatly impacts any egg flavor. Quail foraging on plants and insects in backyard pens produce distinctly different eggs than commercially fed caged quail.

No matter what though, quail eggs are considered very nutritious!

Quail Egg Nutrition and Health Benefits

Both chicken and quail eggs provide protein, vitamins, and minerals. But quail eggs have higher concentrations beneficial for human health.

Compared to chicken eggs eating eggs from quails comes with some advantages like:

• More Vitamin B2 & B12
• More Vitamin A
• Higher iron content
• Higher potassium levels

Plus quail eggs contain 844 mg of cholesterol in 100 grams – much higher than chicken eggs at 372 mg!

What does this nutrition mean for your body? Improvements in:

• Muscle repair & development
• Red blood cell production
• Immune function
• Heart health
• Digestion regulation
• Chronic disease prevention

No single food provides a magic health bullet. But when eaten moderately alongside other quality nutrition sources, quail eggs make fantastic additions to diets.

How Should You Cook Quail Eggs for Meals?

You can cook quail eggs in any way you’d prepare chicken eggs! Popular cooking methods include:

• Boiling
• Poaching
• Frying (over easy/sunny side up)
• Scrambling
• Baking (quiches/breads)

Their petite size does impact cook times though. Quail eggs generally cook faster:

• Hard boiled = 3-4 minutes
• Sunny side fried = 1-2 minutes per side
• Scrambled = 1-2 minutes total

Adjust as needed based on burner temperature and runniness preferences. A white fully set and darkened yolk means it is ready to eat.

For recipes calling for chicken eggs as ingredients, remember to use about 4 quail eggs per chicken egg. So a 3-egg omelet could be made with 12 quail eggs instead.

Where Can Consumers Buy Quail Eggs?

If you don’t have local quail egg farmers around, look to:

• Specialty grocers like Whole Foods
• Regional online farms shipping eggs
• Restaurant suppliers for bulk cases

And if you grow your own? Try these instead:

• Friends & family interest first
• Neighborhood Facebook groups
• Farmers markets & craft fairs
• Website & social media sales

Now that we’ve covered quail egg basics, let’s look at turning your backyard quail hobby into a moneymaker!

Profiting from Quail Eggs – Getting Started

With some planning and marketing, your small flock can generate a nice side income between $500-$5,000 annually. Here are 3 proven ways to profit from quail:

Hatch & Sell Quail Chicks

Incubating quail eggs takes just 18 days before they hatch. Invest in an incubator, select your best breeding trio layers, collect eggs diligently, and hatch 100-300 new quail yearly.

Sell unsexed chicks for $2-$5 each depending on breed quality, color varieties, and local demand. Set higher prices for rarer breeds.

Sell Fertile Hatching Eggs

If incubating isn’t your thing, pre-sell batches of 12-15 fertile eggs to other quail raisers for their own incubators. Charge $15-$25 per dozen.

Package eggs carefully to avoid shipping damage. Promote via poultry forums and Facebook groups.

Market Farm-Fresh Quail Table Eggs

Consistently producing 200-300 eggs yearly from each breeding trio, table egg sales quickly add up!

Set prices at $5+ per dozen retail. Promote on social media, at farmers markets, through CSAs, and to upscale grocers.

Maximizing Egg Production from Your Quail

Raise better laying breeds right from the start for efficiency. Common heavy layers include:

1. Coturnix: 250+ light brown eggs per year
2. Pharaoh: 300+ light brown eggs per year
3. Bobwhite: 100+ white eggs per year

House quail in predator-proof coops with proper ventilation, roosts, nest boxes, and 14-16 hours of daily light. Provide layer feed with at least 20% protein too.

Under ideal conditions, expect up to one small egg per mature female quail daily. That equals 250-300 yearly for Coturnix! Trim costs further by hatching wild-foraged chicks from your best layers.

Incubating Quail Eggs for Maximum Hatch Rates

Quail eggs take just 18-19 days to hatch in incubated brooders – much faster than chicken eggs! For best results:

• Maintain 102°F temperature
• Keep humidity at 45% for 15 days
• Increase humidity to 65% final 3 days
• Rotate eggs daily

Candle at 7 days to weed out unfertilized eggs. Expect 80%+ hatch rates with decent monitoring.

Selling Wholesome, Delicious Quail Eggs

Once your enclosure starts producing enough eggs, it’s time to start selling! Stand out from the crowd with:

• An eye-catching farm logo & packaging
• Promotional photos showing quails happily foraging
• Recipes and nutritional info to share
• Regular social media and email updates

Putting an emphasis on your small-scale, humane approach helps justify premium pricing – so let your passion show!

Before you know it, eager customers will keep your inventory flying off shelves. Then sit back and watch your flock fund their own care and more.

Save Money on Quail Eggs

While more expensive than chicken eggs, quail eggs don’t have to break the bank. Here are smart tips to minimize spend:

Purchase Large Cases Online – Buying 100+ eggs from eFarms often cuts more than 25% off versus small farmer market quantities. Just beware of shipping perishables in extreme temperature zones.

Join Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) – Pay upfront for seasonal “shares” of assorted farm goods. You’ll lock in below-retail egg pricing as one of many offerings in weekly allotments.

Barter Surplus Homegrown Goods – Swap your honey, jams or canning jarred produce for eggs if local farmers allow. You both win through multidirectional community commerce!

Negotiate Bulk Order Discounts – Ask farmers upfront about price cuts on 25+ dozen size commitments before each season starts. Advance planning lets them boost inventories ahead of time.

Go In on Orders with Friends – Split costs and transportation duties picking up eggs. Buy more collectively to unlock volume savings from suppliers.

Cleaning and preserving excess inventory extends savings too. Or look into hatching your own flock! Just $200 upfront for an incubator and quail trio lets you produce endless eggs.

The Hands-On Rewards of Quail Farming

While quail eggs deliver tasty nutrition, and solid side income through low-effort micro-farming, the deeply satisfying hands-on lifestyle simply can’t be beat.

As an intimate alternative to large industrial poultry operations, quail give families and hobbyists alike a renewed connection to their food. Kids delight in collecting tiny blue and brown speckled eggs from backyard hutches to serve up fried, baked, or in omelets at the breakfast table.

Entrepreneurs transform micro flocks into funding for family vacations, college savings, and mortgage payments. And new bonds form between producers and community members grateful for the premium fresh fare.