BACKYARD BOK BOKS |
vs. |
RENT THE CHICKEN​ |
| Mike Craig and Mary-Kate Gilberston; 2011 |
Owner(s); year established: |
Harry and Silvia Stoddart; 2013 |
| We had our own backyard chickens and our friends wanted to try it, too. So we thought we could make it really easy by supporting people who wanted to have backyard chickens. | How did you get into the chicken-renting business? | We noticed an interest in backyard chickens and thought there might be a need for a rental service with a full helpline so people can experience raising hens without the long-term commitment. |
| $349, three hens for two weeks | Cost? | $375, two hens for May-October |
| That’s a good question. I’d have to say the egg | What came first? The chicken or the egg? | For our renters, the chickens come first, and the eggs come the next day! |
| My favourites are Kale, Chrysanthemum, Glee, Bokchoy, Sparkle Princess, Splash and Guelphy. | Funniest hen names: | My favourites are Miss Henny Penny, Henrietta, Egberta, Breakfast, Omelette and Scrambled. |
| It’s the experience of having an urban farm and connecting with where your food comes from. | Apart from eggs, why do people rent hens? |
For the experience of caring for part |
| We looked into goats, but they just eat all your shrubs, jump around and escape. We were looking into sheep to cut grass but haven’t done it. | Have you been asked to rent other animals? | Goats seem to be the next big thing — all those cute goat videos. But I have a feeling most goat rentals won’t last more than a day or two. |
| www.backyardbokboks.com | www.rentthechicken.com |
City of Toronto bylaws do not allow residents to keep chickens on their property. A vote to allow backyard coops was deferred indefinitely in January 2012. In the meantime, city officials will respond to complaints but will not actively enforce the bylaw.