In America, increasing egg prices have hit consumers hard, causing a growing trend: the ‘Rent-a-Hen’ phenomenon. Americans have been struggling with expensive eggs for more than two months now, and things do not seem to be looking up anytime soon.
To deal with this, many people are resorting to chickens to provide themselves with an egg supply. While there are individuals who are choosing to keep chickens in their homes, a henhouse rental has become a popular alternative, especially as a way of mitigating the weight of egg expenses.
Yong-mi Kim in Southern California, for instance, opted to rent two chickens. “I would love to give it a go and see if I like it or not,” she told AFP as she received the hens and the equipment needed to care for them. “Other friends that I know have chickens at home, but it’s too much effort for them — they need to renovate the entire garden themselves. So I think renting a chicken is a good idea,” she said.
Origin of the Idea
The idea of renting chickens isn’t new to the U.S. In fact, it began about a decade ago when a farming couple launched ‘Rent The Chicken’ in Pennsylvania. Since then, the service has expanded to over 40 cities across North America. Interest in renting hens surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, and even more so when a bird flu outbreak led to the culling of egg-laying birds, causing egg prices to soar.
Victoria Lee, owner of a farm in Agua Dulce, Los Angeles, added that demand for chicken rentals has surged exponentially. “Especially this year, we’ve had a far greater interest, I would say, three to four times as much as we were seeing this time last year,” she explained.
With eggs selling as much as $10 per dozen—triple the typical price—some supermarkets have even placed daily purchasing limits on customers’ cartons. Through March, eggs cost 60% more than a year ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported.
How Does ‘Rent-a-Chicken’ Work?
Hiring a chicken or hen has different choices, usually from $500 to more than $1,000 for six months. The package is a mini chicken house, which is enclosed completely with fences to create a farm-like environment. The house also has wheels for easy transfer.
When Victoria Lee got her chicken rental package, she cried out, “Free eggs!” She added that two hens lay as many as 14 eggs a week. Another shopper, whose son is a sports athlete who eats a lot of eggs, was thrilled about the program. “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.
