A fun add-on?

[Annette76]

I’m choosing to focus on the future right now and give myself a break from the news. I have an idea for an add-on that may be kind of fun.

Backyard chickens! There is a company in Atlanta that does rentals of small chicken coops with 3 hens to allow people to experience keeping chickens and gathering eggs on a small scale. People are coming to my area to escape city life and experience a more rural, relaxed life style. It is possible to set up a coop and the guest would have nothing to do other than throw treats in and collect eggs. With 3 hens you would get about a dozen eggs per week, up to 20 per week in peak laying season.  No roosters, so no early morning crowing.  
These are my hens that I would try first at my place, but was thinking going forward to offer it to the rental services in my area. As an early guess I’d say it was doable charging $25-30 per week. 

[Sandra126]

Live chicken sales have boomed in my area! Wish I had some...

[Inna22]

I have been long obsessed with getting quails however have not been able to find a place that would sell the kind that lays eggs but most importantly a place to buy the right cage. 

[Melodie-And-John0]

@Sandra126 , good idea, they eat ticks also.  just have to move them often enough to avoid ammonia burn from the poo.  Seems like it could be a good business especially if you can build them yourself (easy enough) only about 30.oo retail for the parts.  Good cluck, I mean luck!!!!  John

[Irene879]

@Melodie-And-John0 

I just love that!

and you can pick it up by the handles and wheel it around like a wheelbarrow! How excellent.

[Annette76]

It’s called a Chicken Tractor. It’s a great way to move the chickens around to fresh ground. They can do some weeding and bug control in vegetable gardens and fruit orchards. 

[Stephanie]

Fantastic @Annette76 !

When I was a child, we had back garden ducks! 4 of the noisy blighters, for eggs. They were some of the most wonderful characters a child could be raised around. Certainly taught me to never wear sandals in the garden.

Thanks for sharing,

Stephanie

[Kelly149]

@Annette76 we had free range chickens for about 2 years at our listing. Guests did really like. But we had a couple of unfortunate predator incidents and I was frankly tired of sweeping up poop. I don't think that the tractor shown has enough space for 3/4 birds. And the birds really do need daily attention

[Lizzie]

Love this @Annette76. 

I too had hens as a child and we had a very fine cockerel which we named Heathcliff....before you ask, none of the hens were called Cathy! hehe

The eggs were lovely, they had very dark brown shells with speckles on and dark orange yokes. 

All this takes me back. : )