Hancock County 4-H Egg Business Project
The 4-H Egg Business Project is intended to provide youth ages 11-18 with learning experiences in business, entrepreneurship, record keeping, documentation, problem-solving, food safety, and animal husbandry. Under the mentorship of a trained 4-H Leader, participants will learn about, understand, and follow state and local regulations for producing and selling poultry eggs. The project may also generate income for participating youth and their families.
Youth complete their project independently but are also members of a county-wide group of 4-H’ers participating in the project. A trained 4-H Leader will assist Hancock County youth in preparation, business planning, record keeping, animal husbandry, and more. In Hancock County, this program is run in partnership with Machias Savings Bank.
Check in With Our Past Participants
Participants will…
- Develop the entrepreneurial skills needed to create, manage, and sustain a small business focused on egg production and sales. This may look like…
- Performing a local market survey within your community to determine the approximate number of eggs and hens needed to meet that market.
- Gathering eggs daily, and preparing eggs to sell in appropriate packaging.
- Recording all expenses and income related to this project.
- Recording all production data related to this project.
- Reporting project outcomes.
- Develop agricultural literacy and understanding of poultry farming, food safety, and the regulatory environment around animal husbandry and egg production by…
- Preparing (adapt, secure, or construct) appropriate facilities to house the birds for keeping.
- Purchasing a suitable number of hens for their needs.
- Learning the daily care tasks (feeding, watering, egg collection, etc.) needed to keep a flock safe and healthy.
- Learning to and follow the state and federal regulations for selling eggs.
UMaine Extension will provide poultry- and project-related information to all participants; provide educational experiences related to the project such as webinars, hands-on workshops, tours, etc.; present poultry-related educational events for participants; check in with participants on a regular basis; and respond quickly to questions and issues related to the project.
*Note: Hancock County youth must register using the form below instead of the form on the state website.
Registration and Enrollment
*Note: Enrollment priority is given to youth who have not already participated in this project in a prior year.
Registration is currently closed however, please take a second to fill out this short interest form to be added to our waitlist. We will contact those interested when registration opens again next year!
Hancock County 4-H Egg Business Project Interest Form
Program Resources
Egg Business Project Schedule (Coming Soon!)
Forms
Fact Sheets
- Selling Eggs in Maine
- Golden Comets: A Wonderful Hen for the Egg Business Project
- Housing Your Pullets: 4 Options and Other Considerations
- Possible Markets for Fresh Eggs
Other Resources
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