Having trouble finding eggs at the grocery store? Maybe you should consider getting your own egg-laying chickens.

Don't know the first thing about egg-laying hens or their upkeep? A Pennsylvania business, Rent The Chicken, can help.

As consumers nationwide struggle with shortages of eggs and soaring prices brought on by the bird flu, calls to Rent the Chicken have increased, said Jenn Tompkins, who goes by "Homestead Jenn" and co-founded the business with her husband, Phil.

But while some customers may be looking to solve their immediate egg crisis by bypassing the grocery store and getting access to their own eggs, Tompkins said many are looking to rent chickens for their own longer-term food security.

What is Rent The Chicken?

Rent The Chicken partners with affiliate farmers across the U.S. and Canada to bring chickens to people's yards. The rental cost varies but starts at about $500 for a six-month contract. That includes two egg-laying hens that are ready to lay eggs within two days of arrival. Two hens usually lay about a dozen eggs a week, said Tompkins. The rental cost also includes a portable chicken coop, feed for the chickens, food and water dishes and access to experts if you have questions.

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There are also packages to get four egg-laying hens and supplies, which would lay about two dozen eggs a week, she said.

Customers have an option to buy the chickens at the end of their rental or even "chicken out," as Tompkins said, and return the chickens early if chicken raising is not a good fit.

Renting a chicken is not an immediate fix to an egg shortage

Renting a chicken is not an immediate fix to the egg shortage. The chickens available for renting hatched in the fall and will be available to start laying eggs in the spring.

"So we're not an instant fix," said Tompkins. "It's trending, but we are steadfast. We've been active awhile and we want to help people.

"We are not coming against the high price of eggs. We are solving a problem of food insecurity; of not having eggs on the shelf. People can have eggs in their backyard," she told USA TODAY.

Rent The Chicken began taking reservations for hens in October and will make deliveries in April and May. They have partners in 29 states, including Oregon, Missouri and Texas. But an out-of-area package can be shipped anywhere in the U.S. for $1,550 for three hens.

Tompkins said the company has seen an uptick in reservations and recommends that people make reservations quickly.

"We do recommend if anyone is interested in participating, they reserve sooner rather than later because we can't just create more chickens," she said. It takes four to six months for a baby chick to grow up to be old enough to lay eggs, Tompkins said.

Check with your municipality if you can have chickens

Each municipality or community may have its own ordinances or regulations when it comes to whether chickens are allowed in your backyard, said Tompkins. Homeowners' associations may also have rules to consider beyond municipal regulations.

However, "in our opinion, having two to four hens in your backyard is comparable to having a tomato plant on your porch," she said.

Still because regulations differ so much, it is advised that people do their research, she said.

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Tompkins said sometimes neighbors will complain about chickens and are concerned about noise and odors. Hens do make noise, but not like roosters, who crow all day long, she said. Hens "also have a lovely egg song where they sing a little song to announce they've laid an egg, but it doesn't go on."

The chicken coops are portable. It is recommended that they get moved once a day to have a simulated free-range feeling and reduce the amount of droppings in one spot, which can help keep odors to a minimum, she said.

Eggs are fresh in backyard for one consumer

In 2023, Tyler Kochirka of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania convinced his mom to let him rent two hens from Rent The Chicken. Kochirka said he'd always thought about about raising chickens for eggs.

He loved it so much that he reserved two more chickens the next year and then bought the chickens for $40 each at the end of his rental contract. His family has since acquired more chickens for a total of 10.

Kochirka has noticed the soaring egg prices at the store, but only because in the winter he usually feeds his chickens extra protein in the form of scrambled eggs. He's bypassing buying eggs due to the shortage and high costs.

Instead, his family has about two to four dozen eggs a week in their back yard. They give them to family, friends and coworkers when they have extra.

"We do have people that will say, 'Oh, if you've got any extra eggs this week, I'll take some' or 'Next time you have an abundance, remember me,'" Kochirka told USA TODAY.

Chloe Kim contributed to this report. Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which will include consumer news on Fridays, here.