Lifestyle

Rent the Chicken: A Hill Country Family Affair

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Photos by Shannon Salas

After driving through several small Texas towns, into the woods, and down an old dusty gravel road that never seems to end, you’ll find a quaint little homestead complete with chickens, ducks, goats, bees, and barn cats. At first glance, this homestead may not seem any different than any other homestead in Texas, but upon closer observation, you’ll find it is anything but a traditional farm operation.

rent the chicken

The Gose Family and their flock. Back (from left to right): Brad, Mitch (14), and Suzanne. Front row: Audie (9), Liesel (8), Jake (12), Annagail (11).

Upon arriving at the homestead, you are greeted by the most welcoming of Texas families. Brad and Suzanne Gose, surrounded by their five extremely well-mannered children: Mitch, Audie, Liesel, Jake, and Annagail, left their traditional life in Bryan, Texas to live a simpler more sustainable life in the country just outside of Milano. Brad, a U.S. Marine and a former mechanical engineer and inventor, and his wife Suzanne, a former public school teacher, purchased their 15-acre homestead to fulfill a life long dream. Now the couple enjoys a much simpler lifestyle, minus all the noise and chaos of the city, all while homeschooling their beautiful children. Neither Brad or Suzanne are employed in the traditional sense. So, how do they support themselves? In today’s world, it isn’t feasible to generate enough income to support a family of seven with just a handful of chickens and goats. Or is it?

rent the chicken

A tour of the back lot will lead you first to the cutest handcrafted chicken coops with a couple of almost-ready-to-lay hens peaking out at you, probably half wondering who you are and what you are doing there. The top of the ingeniously designed chicken home pushes back to reveal two nesting boxes neatly lined with hay. The coop also doubles as a chicken tractor, allowing it to be moved around to fresh grass, complete with a tucked away hideaway spot for chickens to roost at night without the fear of predators getting in. Stenciled on one end of the coop is a web address: rentthechicken.com. Yes, you read that right, the Gose family rents out chickens.

Rent the Chicken Gose Coop

Rent the Chicken seems like an odd concept until you hear how and why it was started. Rent the Chicken is a national company from Pennsylvania that expanded to cities around the U.S. and Canada. It began as a way to let people who are wanting to dabble in the art of raising chickens, but aren’t so sure if they are cut out for the task, the opportunity to experience it for themselves without the commitment of keeping chickens full-time. With people becoming more and more interested in returning to a life of self-sustainability, city-dwellers included, the idea isn’t too far-fetched. Rent the Chicken is dependent on homesteaders all around the country to rent out their already established flocks, indeed making this business a family affair.

easy coops

The Gose family opened their homestead to the Rent the Chicken business in May 2016. They now offer residents of Central Texas the opportunity to raise hens and enjoy the benefits of collecting farm-fresh eggs from their own backyard. Those wishing to try their hands at keeping chickens can rent a portable coop, up to 4 already laying hens, and the feeder and waterer for a 6 month period. In addition, the chicken “renter” will receive all the food they need and an endless amount of chicken raising support. Best of all, delivery of said chickens and supplies is free up to 50 miles, with only a dollar a mile tacked on for every mile over the limit. At the end of the rental agreement, the chickens and the supplies are returned to the homestead or the “renter” can opt to adopt their chickens and become permanent chicken parents.

Hatch the Chicken

Just recently, the Gose’s expanded their business to include a Hatch the Chicken program. Participants receive an incubator, fertile chicken eggs, chick starter, and a brooding box for a period of five weeks. They get to experience hatching eggs and caring for the fluffy little chicks for the first two weeks of life. It is an amazing program for schools, museums, and clubs to participate in.

Gose Chickens

Want to find out if you have what it takes to be a crazy chicken owner, or simply want nutritious fresh eggs for your table? Brad and Suzanne can hook you up. Visit Rent the Chicken’s website or call 724-305-0782 to get started. From backyard size constraints to chicken personalities, the family will work with you to pair you up with the best chicken set-up for your situation.