Husband and wife Phil and Jenn Tompkins have found a way to bring farm-fresh eggs closer to local kitchens. Their company Rent the Chicken does just that: It lets you rent a chicken coop, complete with birds, for your own backyard.
"We were realizing people wanted a food source closer to their table," explains Jenn Tompkins.
Rent the Chicken had a soft opening last fall, but didn't start the first full rental season until this spring. "We had three times the amount of renters as we were expecting," Tompkins says.
Depending on their eggs needs, renters can choose to house either two or four chickens; the cost for the six-month season is $350 for two chickens or $550 for four..
Each rental comes with a chicken coop and six months worth of food. For an additional $50, renters can upgrade to non-GMO or organic food.
Two chickens will produce eight to 14 eggs per week, while four will produce 16 to 28 eggs per week
"It's not just about the eggs," says Tompkins. "It's also about the experience."
"We make it so people can try out having backyard chickens," Tompkins says. In fact, renters who take to sharing their space with chickens can opt to adopt their rental birds.
Currently, rental packages include free delivery within 50 miles of the 16229 ZIP code, in Freeport. Deposits are now being taken for the spring 2015 season.
724-305-0782
or rentthechicken.com
