Fort Collins co-op opens Rent the Chicken franchise

FORT COLLINS — Love chickens, hate the commitment?

Now an upstart business in Fort Collins, Skirt in the Dirt Co-op LLC, is opening a franchise location of Pennsylvania-based Rent the Chicken that supplies customers with everything they need — from the hens to phone and web support — to produce their own fresh eggs in their back yards.

Skirt in the Dirt is run by Callie Coberly and Melissa Mitchell. The company’s initial focus is on Rent the Chicken, though the founders plan to add more urban farming aspects as the business grows, according to a press release.

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Rent the Chicken, founded in Pittsburgh two years ago by Phillip and Jenn Tompkins, has affiliates in 10 states, Washington, D.C., and Canada.

For $400, Rent the Chicken provides customers with two hens, a chicken coop, a food dish, water dish and enough chicken feed for the April to November rental period. Delivery, setup and pick-up of the materials is included in the price within 50 miles of Fort Collins, and customers have the option of adopting the chickens and supplies for an added fee at the end of the season.