"Rent the Chicken": Renting a hen, the new trend against soaring egg prices in the United States

This resident of La Crescenta, near Los Angeles, opted for this intermediate solution because she was not yet ready to become full owner of these animals.

"I really want to try it to see if I like it," she told AFP as she received her two chickens and all the equipment to raise them.

"Some people I know have chickens at home, but it's a lot of work: they had to renovate their entire garden," says the university professor. "So I think renting a chicken is a good start. "

To do this, she uses the "Rent the Chicken" project, created about ten years ago in Pennsylvania.

Since then, this service has expanded to more than 40 cities across North America, relying on partnerships with local farmers.

But the phenomenon really exploded because of the recent bird flu epidemic . Because of it, entire chicken farms were culled and the price of eggs soared.

"This year in particular, we're seeing a lot more interest, I'd say three to four times more than this time last year," says Victoria Lee, who serves the Los Angeles area from her farm in Agua Dulce, on the outskirts of the metropolis.

At the peak of the shortage, Americans paid more than $10 for a dozen eggs , up to three times their usual price. Supermarkets were also forced to limit the number of cartons allowed per customer.

Eggflation has thus become an emblematic marker of the rising cost of living, which weighed so heavily on the last presidential campaign.

Donald Trump has pledged to combat food inflation. But since his return to the White House, the average price of eggs has risen slightly, and as of March, it remains 60% higher than the same period last year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Quality and proteins

While renting a hen isn't necessarily cheaper than buying eggs from a store, it does at least offer a better quality, Lee said.

"When they arrive at the supermarket, eggs are on average between 48 and 60 days old," explains the breeder. "The longer eggs stay on the shelf, regardless of their initial quality, the more the proteins they contain degrade."

The service offers various options for renting chickens, ranging from $500 to $1,000 for six months, depending on the number of birds and where they live.

These prizes include the chickens, their food, waterers and feeders, as well as a guide to raising them . And above all, a chicken coop of remarkable quality, a sort of mini-house with a patio, surrounded by a fence and entirely fixed on casters.

"Every day, our tenants lift the chicken coop and move it so the chickens can have access to fresh grass," explains Ms. Lee. This allows the chickens to peck at "new insects (...) while being protected from predators."

Ms. Kim, his client, was particularly impressed by the concept, as was the dozen free eggs offered with the delivery of her hens, which had laid the previous week.

With two chickens in her garden, she can now expect to harvest up to 14 eggs a week . This amount should be very useful for her athletic son, who loves them as a source of protein.

But beyond a solution in times of crisis, the professor hopes for "more" from this project.

"I really wanted to offer something that would allow children to learn about a way of life and compare the taste of eggs," she concludes.