San Francisco Frontiers - Backyard barnyard: rising egg prices prompt hen hires in US

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," the Los Angeles-area resident told AFP 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."

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 quail 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 $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.

The eyewatering costs were a regular feature of last year's presidential campaign, with US President 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 percent 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."

Backyard eggs, in contrast, are only as old as however long it took the owner to pick them up off the henhouse floor.

- 'Free eggs!' -

"Rent the Chicken" offers different options that range from around $500 to over $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 moveable, 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.

"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.

N.Flores--SFF