
The sunny side of renting chickens
While many people idly muse about backyard farming, for those not ready to take the plunge permanently, there's a solution: renting a henhouse, complete with egg-laying birds.
'I really want to try it out and see whether I like it or not,' said the Los Angeles-area resident as she took delivery of two chickens and all the equipment they need to live a happy egg-laying life.
'Some people I know have chickens at home, but it's a lot of work for them – they had to adjust the whole garden themselves. So I think renting a chicken is a good start.'
Hiring hens began to gain ground in the United States around a decade ago in Pennsylvania when a farming couple set up 'Rent The Chicken'.
Chickens sitting inside a portable coop on a trailer before departing from a farm to a client's home. - AFP
Since then, the project has expanded to more than 40 cities across North America, with local farmers setting up their own offshoots.
The service saw an uptick in interest during the Covid-19 lockdowns, when people were stuck at home.
But it has skyrocketed in recent months as consumers recoil over the soaring cost of eggs, thanks to a bird flu pandemic that has seen the wholesale culling of egg-laying birds.
'Especially this year, we have had a much higher interest, I would say, three to four times as much as we were seeing this time last year,' said Victoria Lee, who serves the Los Angeles region from her farm in Agua Dulce.
Some Americans have been forking over more than US$10 for a dozen eggs, up to three times their usual price, with supermarkets putting daily limits on the number of cartons a shopper can buy.
Fresh eggs being delivered along with chickens and a portable chicken coop to a client's house. - AFP
The eyewatering costs were a regular feature of last year's presidential campaign, with candidate Donald Trump pledging to lower grocery bills when he got to the White House.
But prices have continued to climb, and in March, eggs were 60% more expensive than a year earlier, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
Lee is quick to point out, however, that raising chickens at home is not cheaper than buying eggs at the store.
Instead, it's a question of quality.
'By the time they get to the grocery store, (eggs) are on average 48-60 days old,' she said.
'As eggs sit, no matter the quality at the start of that countdown, over time, the protein in the eggs begins to break down.'
Kim looking inside a portable chicken coop and her egg-laying chickens after they were delivered to her house. — AFP
Backyard eggs, in contrast, are only as old as however long it takes the owner to pick them up off the henhouse floor.
'Rent the Chicken' offers different options that range from around US$500 to over US$1,000 for six months, depending on location and number of birds desired.
Packages include the birds, food, waterers and feeders, additional treats and a chicken care guide. But it is the included coop that is most striking – a sort of mini house with what looks like a patio, completely protected by fences.
It's also movable, thanks to wheels on the bottom.
'Every day, our renters will lift this up ... and move it forward ... with the chickens having access to fresh grass each day.
Lee unloading chickens and a portable chicken coop from her truck as they are delivered to a client's house. — AFP
'They're getting the experience of being on wide-open pasture with that new stimulation, new bugs to look for, new grass to dig through, while still being safe in a predator-proof coop.'
The convenience is what made the package attractive to Kim, a university professor living in La Crescenta, near Los Angeles, and when her new coop arrived, she was absolutely thrilled.
'Free eggs!' Lee exclaimed while unloading the new backyard tenants and handing over a complimentary dozen laid the previous week.
A client with two chickens can expect up to 14 eggs per week, Lee explains.
Kim, whose son is an athlete who eats a lot of eggs, says although the supply crisis prompted her to rent the chickens, it's 'bigger than that'.
'I really wanted to have something for the kids, also to learn as a way of life, and to compare the taste of the eggs,' she said. — AFP
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
What is the status of US tariff negotiations?
WASHINGTON: US tariff negotiations with key trading partners have shifted into high gear as economies race to avoid steeper duties before an Aug 1 deadline. Many of these tariff hikes were part of a package first announced in April, under which dozens of economies were due to face higher levies – up from a 10 per cent level – over their trade surpluses with the United States. The twice-postponed deadline for duties to take effect is now Friday, Aug 1. But Washington has expanded its group of targets coming up against these tariffs, while announcing agreements with the European Union, Britain, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines. A deal with the European Union unveiled on Sunday sees a 15 per cent tariff imposed on European exports to the United States, down from the 30 per cent that Trump earlier threatened. Where do other US trade talks stand? Seoul is racing to reach a deal with Washington, as Tokyo's success in landing an agreement has "amped up the pressure for South Korea," a government source told AFP. Local media reported that Seoul was preparing to propose more than US$100 billion in investment as part of a broader agreement, with expected participation by major firms such as Samsung and Hyundai Motor. The South Korean government did not confirm this. But South Korean officials have outlined proposals to deepen collaboration in sectors like shipbuilding, semiconductors and batteries. National Security Advisor Wi Sung-lak has told reporters that the two countries are in "the final and most crucial phase of negotiations" to avert Trump's proposed 25 per cent duty. Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal told Bloomberg Television Thursday that he was optimistic his country could reach an agreement with the United States to avert Washington's 26 per cent tariff threat. Goyal insisted there were not any sticking points in the US-India relationship or in trade talks, and clarified that immigration rules – including those around H-1B visas for skilled workers – had not come up in negotiations. Despite Goyal's remarks, local media reported the prospects of an interim deal before Aug 1 had dimmed. Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai said Thursday that officials are "working hard" on negotiations, amid worries that an unfavorable tariff level could hit the self-ruled island's economy. Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim said Taipei's negotiating team was "working almost 24 hours a day to achieve trade balance and Taiwan's industrial interests, and even to further deepen cooperation." Although Canada and Mexico were spared from Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs announced in April, goods from both countries entering the United States generally face a separate 25 per cent duty if they fall outside a North American trade pact. This figure stands to jump to 30 per cent for Mexico come Aug 1, while the level for Canada was set at 35 per cent. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her administration was "doing everything" possible to avert the duties and that she would speak with Trump if necessary to try to reach a pact. Trump told reporters Friday there was no deal with Canada so far. Brazil is girding for a virtual trade embargo on its planes, grains and other goods if Trump's threatened 50 per cent tariff on its exports takes effect on Aug 1. The United States runs a trade surplus with Latin America's biggest economy, which was not originally expected to face steeper tariffs under Trump's "reciprocal" duties plan. Trump has not attempted to hide the political motivation in targeting Brazil, citing a judicial "witch hunt" against his right-wing ally, former president Jair Bolsonaro, when he unveiled the tariff rate. The political nature of the spat makes a last-minute deal appear less likely.


The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
US commerce secretary says Trump really likes TikTok, but app has to move to US ownership
FILE PHOTO: A man films a TikTok video outside the U.S. headquarters of the social media company TikTok in Culver City, California, U.S. January 18,2025. REUTERS/Fred Greaves/File Photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump likes TikTok but the Chinese-owned short video app, used by some 170 million Americans, has to move to U.S. ownership, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick said on Sunday. "The President really likes TikTok, and he said it over and over again, because, you know, it was a good way to communicate with young people," Lutnick said in an interview on Fox News Sunday with Shannon Bream. "But let's face it, you can't have the Chinese have an app on 100 million American phones, that is just not okay. So, it's got to move to American ownership, it's got to move to American technology, American algorithms," he said. "I know the President is positive towards TikTok, if it can move into American hands." (Reporting by Ahmed AbouleneinEditing by Marguerita Choy)


New Straits Times
6 hours ago
- New Straits Times
NZ sheep farmers battle pine forests
WELLINGTON: New Zealand sheep farmers are fighting to stop the loss of pasture to fast-spreading pine plantations, which earn government subsidies to soak up carbon emissions. Concern over the scale of the farm-to-forest switch led the government to impose a moratorium in December on any new conversions not already in the pipeline. But farmers say forestry companies are flouting the clampdown. Last month, farmers launched a "Save our Sheep" campaign to reverse the loss of productive farmland. Sheep numbers have plummeted to around 23 million, down from a peak of around 70 million in the 1980s, according to official figures. Falling wool prices, and rising milk and beef costs initially drove the decline, but the emissions trading since 2008 has added to the strain. The government is now investigating potential breaches of its moratorium by forestry companies, which have been buying up farmland as recently as June. Federated Farmers — a lobby group for rural communities — submitted to the government "a list of properties we believe have been sold for carbon forestry" since the halt, said a spokesman. The federation is concerned about the sale of more than 15,200ha of farmland, he said. Dean Rabbidge, who runs a farm outside the Southland town of Wyndham, said some of the newly purchased farms had already been planted with pine trees. The moratorium had created a "gold rush", he said. "It's criminal what's happening." Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay said the government would change the law by October because it had become more profitable to plant pine forests than to farm sheep. "The law will include clarity on what qualifies as legitimate evidence of a pre-December investment and enable any specific cases to be properly assessed," said McClay. Rural New Zealand once abounded with rolling pastures, rickety wire fences hemming in millions of sheep chewing on the green grass. But Rabbidge said those days were gone. New Zealand is one of the rare countries to allow 100 per cent of carbon emissions to be offset by forestry. "We're not anti planting trees," said sheep farmer Ben Fraser. But the trading scheme had driven an excessive loss of sheep pastures to forestry, he said. "This whole thing is just so short-sighted," Rabbidge said. Government figures from 2023 show agriculture accounted for more than half of New Zealand's total greenhouse gas emissions. But farmers argue they have been working hard to reduce emissions, down more than 30 per cent since the 1990s. AFP