Top 10 Reasons to Rent Chickens

Today's small business feature comes from Kate Belbeck from an amazing little farm Belbeck's Family Farm.

You rent what?? It’s a pretty common reaction when I tell people that I rent chickens. Let me first start by saying that I co-own and operate a small farm on the outskirts of Guelph near Arkell. It has always been my goal to help people to feel like they are a part of something, that they know and understand where their food comes from and that they have a choice. We are more than just another place to buy your meat and eggs. We started offering our Rent The Chicken program to help families bring one simple food source closer to their table, in almost any backyard, without a long-term commitment unless they want it. In a world where we are getting further and further removed from the farm, I think getting reacquainted is important. What better experience is there to teach your kids about where food comes from?

So here are the top 10 reasons to Rent The Chicken this coming year: 1. Everything you need to get farm fresh eggs from your own backyard comes with your rental - hens, portable coop, feed, feeder and waterer, reference material, treats - no need to figure out where to begin! 2. You don’t have to wait for baby chicks to grow up before they start laying eggs - our rental hens are already laying when they arrive at your home. Most people gets eggs the very first day! 3. No roosters allowed!! Our hens are guaranteed to be hens, so no noisy roosters crowing all day long. 4. You don’t have to look after chickens over the winter - no need to bundle up and rush out to collect your eggs before they freeze, no struggles with keeping fresh water in front of your chickens. They come back to our farm where we worry about all of that! 5. If you decide that chickens are just not for you, you can just call us to come and pick up your rental. Chickens won’t end up at the humane society or dumped in the country. 6. Chickens are amazing pets - they are social, they love to interact with people, they are incredibly amusing to watch. Just ask a chicken keeper about “Chicken TV”, you can watch them for hours! 7. Fresh eggs are unlike anything you can buy at the grocery store. The flavor, the colour of the yolk, it’s amazing! 8. Continued support - there is always someone around to answer your questions and help you through the learning process. 9. If you fall in love with your hens, there are various options for adoption. And if not, they are returning to a caring home and a good life. 10. If you want to experience hatching chicks but can’t keep the chicks, we have a Hatch The Chicken program for that too!

If you would like to learn more about the Rent The Chicken program, hatching your own chicks with our Hatch The Chicken program, or about our pasture-raised meat and eggs, please visit belbecksfamilyfarm.ca.