Meet Abigail and Anna.
They are Buff Orpington chickens which my friend, Lucy, has rented for the summer.
They arrive with their own pen which has a coop upstairs. The pen is equipped with feeder and water shutes and can be moved around the yard.
You must allow the birds free in the yard every day to forage for themselves.
You can tell the birds apart because Anna has lighter feathers on her derriere. Besides looking slightly different, the birds have different personalities. Anna is less social than Abigail, who will peck your hand in greeting. Anna wants nothing to do with humans.
Both chickens love their time out of the pen because they like to scratch in the flower beds. They are great weeders, as they scratch the soil, exposing the rich dark earth underneath. The birds enjoy the worms they find.
The chickens are very attuned to predators in their environment and will run into their pen if they sense any danger. While I was there, Lucy fed them some apple, their favourite treat,
but they sensed something, stopped, ran around and eventually headed into their pen.
The hens each lay a brown egg per day. Their eggs are jumbo size compared to the white extra-large eggs I usually buy.
In October, the chickens will return to their owner and an unknown fate. Lucy plans to rent chickens again next year.
Maybe...
28 comments:
As I approach my 70th birthday, I feel fulfilled to learn that you can rent chickens. I now feel completed in some wonderful way. :)
This is a great idea, both for the chickens and for the ground. Somebody came up with a brilliant plan to rent them out. Wonder where they go afterwards, maybe I don't want to know. :-)
Rent-a-chicken??? What an innovative idea. Keeps the garden insect free, a supply of fresh eggs all summer, and you don't have to worry about housing them for the coming winter. And the original chicken owner gets a nice fat well fed bird at the end of the rental. Brilliant!
What an interesting concept Marie, would be wonderful if you had small children. That's what you call the freshest eggs possible ☺ and I too will not think of their future ☺
We have so many flocks around here, with major highways and major traffic, and never a dead chicken. They look across a busy road and don't venture. The side roads, another matter.
Those are very good looking chickens?
Rent-a-chicken?!!! I have never heard of such a thing! : ))
Never heard of renting chickens before, what a great concept. I like it and you get some really fresh eggs.
What a brilliant idea. Am I right in thinking that chickens need to be inside in your winters? And like DJan I am pretty certain I don't want to know what happens to the rent-a-chooks at summer's end.
This is such a great idea. I would love to have chickens in my yard for the warm weather, and then be able to return them come winter. I would love to have fresh eggs every day!
Lol. I am glad, AC.
Maybe you don't need to know what happens to them, Jan.
It is indeed brilliant, Shammi.
It would be wonderful for young children to see and help with the chickens, PDP.
They are smarter than we give them credit for, Joanne.
Me either, Catarina, until this year.
The eggs are delicious, Bill.
I smile at the name chooks, EC. My grandmother used that word. Chickens would need more shelter than these pens provide in our winters.
You would be a great at chicken farming in your back yard, Debbie. You have a way with creatures!
My dad raised chickens for awhile. After my 4 year old cousin saw them he began raising his own imaginary chickens. Those invisible chickens followed him around for several months.
Renting chickens, who knew? That's very interesting to rent and give back. Greetings.
That sounds a wonderful idea! Sarah x
Lol. You always have an interesting take on things, Ratty.
It is an interesting enterprise, B.
I think it is great, Sarah.
I have a rooster that hatched out.. maybe I should see if I could rent him out, lol! What an idea... like their little coop that is quite cozy for them, and they certainly looked like they were enjoying their summer home :)
Ok. I confess I've been wanting to get chickens for my little city yard. I had ducks and chickens when I lived in the country and I like having them around. I never heard of renting them though. I think that was a great idea on your friend's part.
The hens looked content, Marilyn.
I'd love to have chickens too, Barbara.
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