GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A novel solution has emerged in response to increasing egg prices over the years: renting chickens.
"He looked at me and he said, do you want to rent some chickens?" recalled Jenn Tompkins, founder of Rent The Chicken.
Tompkins said the concept quickly gained traction after its launch. "So, from there, like that was the kind of the first time that rent the chicken went viral, if you will. That was in 2013 we were receiving inquiries from a lot of places," Tompkins emphasized.
The business expanded rapidly, with chicken farmers nationwide joining the venture. "We started bringing on farmers and homesteaders from across the United States and Canada who wanted to participate, offering our service, wearing our logo proud, stickering up their trucks, making deliveries to bring one food source closer to someone's table," Tompkins explained.
The business model resembles a franchise system similar to McDonald's but for renting chickens.
"A small business owner has a lot of hats to wear, and so we take that b ranch, and we provide that for their renters and for them as well," added Tompkins. For Heather Schroeder, a homesteader with Rent The Chicken in Haslett, chickens provide more than just eggs. "Kids get so excited. And there's they get so attached to the chickens. You know, they name them," she said.
As the chicken liaison for Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Ann Arbor, Schroeder helps make chicken rentals accessible to residents throughout West Michigan. The rental process is straightforward.
"Two hens lay about a dozen eggs a week. Four hens lay about two dozen eggs a week, and we provide either an in-person or a video tutorial. We provide an instruction sheet, a chicken-keeping book, and a phone number to call," explained Tompkins.
The best part? Food and shelter for those cute chicks are provided for you. And you can even keep them after your rental period! “They can adopt, with or without the coop at the end of the rental," emphasized Tompkins.
More information about renting chickens in West Michigan can be found here.
Read more stories from the FOX 17 Morning News team
Do you have an idea for the Morning News team or maybe an idea for a guest segment or something for the gang to come out and try? Send them an email at mornings@fox17online.com or call 616-447-5252 and leave a message.
Follow FOX 17: Facebook - X (formerly Twitter) - Instagram - YouTube
