Chicken renting – excuse me?
Jenn and Phil Tompkins founded Rent The Chicken three years ago, due to an identified need for fresh eggs in peoples’ personal backyards. The idea seems absurd, but Rent the Chicken is now a nationwide venture with 40 affiliate farms and even locations in parts of Canada. According to customers as well as the founders, the difference between fresh eggs and store-bought eggs is incomparable.
The idea came to Jenn and Phil simply based off of a search for crazy business ideas. Their crazy search has created what now gives each customer a coop, four hens, all the feed, all the supplies, and full support from Jenn and Phil throughout a typical six-month adventure. Jenn and Phil like to say, “yard to table.”
Since starting the business three years ago, Rent The Chicken now have 10 rental families who also have their Hatch The Chicken program, which takes three weeks for the eggs to hatch and another two weeks to care for the baby chicks. Rental families are provided with the essentials – incubator, fertilized eggs, book, cage, feed, water dish, feed dish – and then chickens begin laying their own eggs around six months.
More often than not, rental families become attached to their chickens and they become pets. Because Phil and Jenn understand the attachment that can take place, they do offer the option for renters to adopt their own chickens.
Certainly unique and original – that’s what this is.
In the News:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=11&v=I6lfyeuWmGc&feature=emb_logo
On Their Website:
http://www.rentthechicken.com/p/news.html
What an interesting concept! They are right, people would much rather have farm fresh eggs than store bought ones if possible. From the sounds of it they also make it easy for the customer by providing everything. Sounds like a great idea they came up with!
When I read the title of this post I had the same reaction– “excuse me?” This seems like such a crazy and absurd idea until I read further! My uncle has his own chickens and I have to say, their eggs taste a lot better when using them for cooking / baking as compared to store-bought eggs! This is a very interesting idea and one that seems like has been carried out fairly well.
I have heard of goat rental businesses, but who knew you could rent chickens, too! This is such a unique idea that meets a need while also offering a fun experience to families who probably would have otherwise never had the chance to have animals other than typical pets!