April 29, 2015
Are you an urban dweller who's fantasizing about waking up to fresh farm eggs laid in the backyard, but can’t commit to owning chickens?
A Pennsylvania farmer found a compromise for cityfolk, which she turned into a business, called Rent The Chicken.
Happy Renter in #newjersey http://t.co/imRyePp3il pic.twitter.com/WJJZqM3glK
— Rent The Chicken (@RentTheChicken) April 10, 2015
Most basic rental packages start at around $150 per month and include two hens – which collectively produce about a dozen eggs each week – a wire coop with wheels, feed and expert assistance over the phone. And the best part: No roosters.
If things don’t work out, ship them back. But if things go well, you can adopt your new feathered friends into the family.
Currently, Philadelphia's municipal codes only allow chickens on parcels of three acres or larger. First-time offenders can expect a fine of $150-$300 if caught, but according to animal control, the code is rarely enforced without a complaint from a neighbor first, one brazen rowhome farmer said in a Philadelphia Magazine opinion piece.
