Checklist for 4-H Egg Entrepreneur Project
By Richard Brzozowski, Poultry Specialist, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, richard.brzozowski@maine.edu
Planning is essential for success in your Egg Entrepreneur Project. Your plan includes:
Where your hens will live
- Does the structure exist? Will you need to build a structure?
- To get your structure ready for the pullets:
- If you are adapting an existing structure, make a plan of all you need to keep hens in that structure.
- If you are building a structure, find or design a suitable plan, make a list of all the materials, calculate the price, and figure out who will build it.
Equipment you will need
(Where will you find these items and how much will they cost? Remember, equipment doesn’t have to be new)
- Waterer(s)
- Feeder(s)
- Grain storage container
- Nesting boxes
- Egg cartons
- Light(s)
Customers
- Who will buy the eggs your hens produce? How many dozen eggs will they buy a week? (Use Possible Markets for Fresh Eggs to conduct your marketing study).
Getting your chickens
- How many hens will you need to meet your egg market? (Use the Hens Needed Calculator (Excel)).
Your egg business plan
- Write a business plan for this egg enterprise using the Egg Entrepreneurship Business Plan.
Records
- Organize all the information about your business and keep a written record using the form in Egg Entrepreneurship Records (PDF).
Insurance
- Have your parents or guardian speak with the company that insures your home or property to determine if you can be covered for product liability insurance.