No need to scramble for pricey eggs with rent-a-chicken

HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania: A Pennsylvania couple has come up with a solution to soaring US egg prices: rental chickens.

RentTheChicken.com is the brainchild of Jenn and Phil Tompkins, of Freeport, Pennsylvania, north-east of Pittsburgh. More than just a cost-beater, they see their business as a way to change how people think about food.

“It changes the mindset of people when they know where food comes from,” said Jenn Tompkins, 38. “Pretty soon they’ll have tomato plants and be turning the chicken manure into compost.”

Since starting their home-based business in the summer of 2013, they have rented chickens to about 200 customers in 12 US states as well as Ontario and Prince Edward Island.

Interest has been spurred by a surge in US egg prices.