Checking in with a chicken rental empire

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My dream of becoming a DIY egg farmer is currently on hold as a contentious email thread with my landlord stretches into eternity. 

For those of us unbound by stuffy lease agreements, though, the dream is very much alive. 

The “chickening” is happening — even in places where it shouldn’t be. And it’s easier than ever to jump on the homesteading wave thanks to a Pennsylvania couple that created a one-stop-shop for wannabe “chickeneers” like me.

It’s called Rent The Chicken and it received lots of media attention when it launched in 2013. 

Now, nearly a decade later, the concept seems almost prescient. Egg prices are way up. Local (or in this case hyperlocal) food is still very much en vogue. And being cooped up at home during the pandemic apparently made lots of people decide, "This place needs more livestock."

Co-founder Jenn Tompkins of Freeport says Rent The Chicken’s business grew 48% between 2020 and 2021. Since launching, they’ve added affiliates in at least a dozen states and Canada, too. Here’s an overview of how it works: 

You rent two egg-laying hens starting at $475 or four starting at $675. 

Included in that price are the birds, the coop, the feed, the delivery, and, when necessary, the hand-holding. 

Tompkins says two hens will lay about a dozen eggs a week and four hens will lay around two dozen. With rentals typically lasting spring to fall, that’s, um, a lot of eggs. 

(There is a “chicken out” clause if you change your mind midway.) 

“Are the chickens allowed to leave the coop and wander?” I asked. 

“Only if a responsible adult or person is out with them,” Tompkins explained. “The chickens aren’t going to run and if someone’s there the hawks won’t bother them.” 

Suddenly concerned about my precious, imaginary flock, I wanted to know if the birds could just hang in the house with me. Tompkins wouldn’t recommend it. Neither would the CDC. 

The disclaimers continued. 

“And for crying out loud don’t open-mouth kiss your chickens,” Tompkins added. 

It’s worth noting that there is a massive bird flu outbreak currently underway in Pennsylvania. Tompkins is as concerned as anyone but said their flocks are “closed,” meaning they only accept poultry from trusted sources with “biosecurity measures” in place. 

Would this convince my landlord to drop their opposition? Probably not. So I asked Tompkins for some messaging tips.

“I have great advice,” she shouted. “In some ways Rent The Chicken is the ultimate compromise. Sometimes you’re persuading a neighbor or a spouse even, and I tell people that one of the biggest misconceptions about backyard hens is that they’re noisy. Roosters are noisy. Four egg-laying hens are far less noisy than most neighborhood dogs, and two hens produce less poop than a German shepherd.” 

—Colin Deppen, Spotlight PA