Special Quail Eggs for Sale at Grace Brothers

Pictured above: Ava Burrows enjoys raising quail with younger sister, Emma

Grace Brothers sells a lot of eggs…

We sell upwards of 100 dozen chicken eggs a week that are from family farmers, less than 50 miles away.

We also sell quail eggs, which are laid right here in North Royalton. We love local food because it’s fresher than anything produced across the country (or the world) and so it always tastes better. Local food also has less impact on the environment due to its lack of transportation impacts. Food coming from North Royalton doesn’t get any more local!

Our quail eggs are extra special because not only are they from North Royalton, but they are managed by a middle school student (soon to be high school!).

Ava Burrows is thirteen and started her quail egg business after falling in love with the birds during a 4-H project. Her company is called The Cluckity Homestead. The family also keeps chickens, rabbits, and guinea pigs.

Ava told us, “Quail are amazing, unique birds and a great supplement or alternative to chicken, depending on where you live.”

Quail eggs are about a third of the size of chicken eggs. Their shells are cream colored with brown speckles. Quail eggs have more yolk and therefore more protein and fat compared to a chicken egg per serving. They have slightly more HDL (good) cholesterol. Some people who are allergic to chicken eggs can tolerate quail eggs instead. Quail eggs are also creamier and have double the iron of chicken eggs. And let’s face it, they’re just cuter!

Ava’s mom, Sarah, says, “There are many families that cannot have chicken based upon their city rules, but quail can be raised anywhere: garage, backyard, in the house (although they are dusty birds!). Quail are very fast growers. From hatch date, they double in size weekly and have almost full feathers by three weeks. Between six to eight weeks, they are adults and already producing eggs!”

This spring and summer, Ava is not only hatching eggs for sale but also hatching extra eggs for people who are interested in starting or adding to their quail collection.

The family loves to share their quail chicks with other quail enthusiasts. Their family quail production is NPIP certified. Sarah says that they are a small operation, so sometimes birds are not available for purchase, but they are happy to work with families whenever they have them.

Beyond hatching extra eggs for baby quail, Ava is looking forward to showing her birds at the Cuyahoga County Fair this summer. Additionally, Ava’s goal this year is to continue selling eggs at Grace Brothers and get more youth involved with raising quail, as they are easy to raise and hardy birds.

This Spring, Ava’s younger sister, Emma, hatched 28 quail eggs at North Royalton Elementary School, where she goes to school. Emma, along with some other 4H kids, presented to the entire first grade about hatching chickens and quail. The quail were hatched and raised at NRES for three weeks so the students could watch the growth rate and learn more about the birds. Once hatched, the quail went back to the Burrow’s home.

Follow The Cluckity Homestead on Facebook. Ava and her quail were featured in the Farm and Dairy and also on the North Royalton School District website.