Products for Sale - Coops, Chooks, Certified Organic Feed
The Rentachook business (Rent-a-chook) is basically sell-a-chook with the option of return-a-chook if you dont want-a-chook! The idea is, you buy the coop and chooks, but if it doesn’t work out (for any reason at all) you can return it/them within the first 6 weeks and receive your full deposit back. Like a try before you buy option (with a fee).
For a detailed description of how the renting works see the Renting page.
However (if you have already made the decision to keep chooks) we sell:
- An Eco-Coop Package which comprises a standard coop and 2 hens;
- An Eco-Coop chicken coop on its own (Std);
- A Middie Eco-Coop designed for up to 4 hens (Middie);
- An Extra Large Eco-Coop designed for up to 8 hens (XL);
- A Double Ender chicken coop (basically two XL chook coops facing each other with a door in the middle) for those who want a really large flock and have the space;
- A Gate to let you into your henrun (without having to step over the fence) if you wish to make your own henrun;
- A Readymade Henrun;
- Chooks on their own, for those brave enough to build their own coops;
- Nesting Boxes for those who’ve built their own coops;
- Tooth files for when the hen’s teeth get too long and sharp;
- Flatpack chicken coops in Std, Middie and XL size for customers around Australia (outside Sydney);
- Freezedried and Shrinkwrapped Laying Hens for transport around Australia (just add water and foom! Hens, ready to lay!);
- Certified Organic Chookfeed; and
- Chicken Medications etc.
Eco-Coop Features
The Eco-Coop is a fox-proof, portable chicken coop designed for the suburban backyard and provides for all of the everyday needs for the chooks:
- Protection from foxes at night (most important);
- A perch to sleep on;
- A nest to lay eggs in; and
- Shelter, a place to call home.
The coop is easy to move around the yard (if you want a lawnmowing service), or can just be left in one spot.
All coops sold (except flatpacks) come with:
- A feeder and waterer made from reused milk and juice bottles;
- A bag of feed (reused shopping bag actually); and
- A bag of straw (usually a stockfeed bag).
The Eco-Coop Package
The Eco-Coop package costs $360 (plus delivery) to buy outright and comprises a standard chicken coop and 2 hens. Basically all you need to start keeping chooks in your backyard.
We set you up, we answer your questions and we encourage you to call us if you have any questions after we've gone. The package can either be delivered (see delivery below) or picked up from me in Ryde (see pickup below).
The standard coop measures 1.8m long and approximately 1m wide/high and is designed for 2 chooks*.
The Eco-Coop Package Everything you need for keeping 2 chooks at home, including the chooks.
|
Standard Coop on its own
You can also purchase the coop on its own for $340 if you already have your own chooks or want to find a special breed yourself.
Middie Coop and Extra Large Chicken Coop
If you think that at some stage you might want to keep more than 2 hens, you might be interested in a larger coop. These are made to the same design as the Eco-Coop but are 1.3m wide/high (quite a bit bigger).
The Middie Coop is 1.8m long and designed for up to 4 chooks*. Middie Coops are $375 for the coop (this includes feeder and waterer, some straw and food to get you started).
The Extra Large Coop is 2.3m long, comes with 2 perches and is designed for up to 8 chooks. Extra Large Coops cost $395 for thecoop (this includes feeder and waterer, some straw and food to get you started).
Chooks are sold separately at $20 per chook when you purchase a coop (otherwise $30 per chook). Eg: a Middie Coop and 2 chooks will cost you $415, or Extra Large Coop and 2 chooks $435.
When deciding how many chooks to purchase, consider that a chook lays most eggs in its first three laying years (from 6 months old to 4 years old approx) and then the egg laying declines after that.
If you buy the maximum number of chooks a coop will hold initially, then you won’t be able to expand your flock at a later date to maintain your egg supply. For this reason we suggest that (no matter what size coop you get) you start with 2 or 3 chooks. This way you will have space to add more chooks in a few years time. I call this keeping a rolling flock.
The Double Ender Chicken Coop
The Double Ender chicken coop is basically two Extra Large Chicken coops bolted together (no wheels) with a different door in the middle allowing the chooks to get out and you to get in. It can accommodate up to 12 chooks* and costs $700. It should be noted that it is the best part of 5m long and is best suited to a larger area.
* Note: For all Coops
All coops are intended as protection for the chooks at night and not as a chicken Alcatraz . The chooks should be let out to roam (free range) in your garden during the day and locked up at night.
This being said, you can leave them locked in the coop (cooped up) if you go away for a long weekend, just make up another waterer (I authorise you to copy my patented design) so the chooks have an alternate source of water if they spill one.
The coop should also be parked in the shade. Failing this, if you say to your neighbours “keep an eye on the chooks, and any eggs you get are yours”, you can be sure to have no shortage of offers.
The RSPCA advise (and I totally agree) that birds such as chooks should not be kept in a coop but allowed to free range in your yard.
Chooks
We sell chooks separately if you have your own coop.
At Rentachook we sell a crossbreed hen called an Isa Brown. These are renowned for their egg laying (they hold the world record for the most eggs laid by a chook in a year!) and they are placid (get along well with kids and other pets). All birds are sold at 'point of lay' or laying, usually between 16 and 20 weeks old. The chooks have been vaccinated, had their wings clipped, and cost $30 per hen.
Flatpack Coops – For Freight Anywhere in Australia
We offer the Standard, the Middie and the Extra Large coop in flatpack form for freight anywhere in Australia. Coops include feeder and waterer (but not food and straw) and the price covers the time it takes for us to disassemble them and prepare them for freight.
They are easy to assemble and come with assembly instructions but you will need a cordless drill (screwdriver) or a strong wrist.
To open the package up when it arrives, just remove the screws marked with an X in black texta.
Standard coop flatpack = $340, Middie Flatpack = $380, and XL coop flatpack = $400
Rentachook has an account with Vicfast Couriers that allows us to arrange very reasonably priced freight for country NSW, ACT, VIC and SA. We can also do freight to QLD, NT, Tas and WA as you can see in the table. Vicfast claim overnight for Canberra, Melbourne etc and 2 days for Brisvegas, but experience says it will take a few days to get to you.
Freezedried and Shrinkwrapped Laying Hens
How do I transport the chooks to interstate customers, I hear you ask? Well, I have perfected a technique of taking a point-of-lay hen, freeze drying and shrink wrapping it and posting it anywhere. Just add water and, hey presto, foom! You have a laying hen ready to go.
How funny would that be! Actually, I’m building a network of local suppliers of hens and can usually direct interstate customers to a local supplier – had you going though.
Henrun Gate
If you would like to make your own henrun, for $50 we will sell you a gate (with hinges and a latch) and two 1.2m hardwood gate posts. What you do is hammer the gateposts into the ground, attach the gate and latch and then shoot off to the local hardware store and buy some cheap chookwire, some tomato stakes and cable ties and then, hey presto, you can make your henrun as big as you like (and/or move it around).
Henrun Kit
We sell chookwire, stakes etc to make a henrun. If you think you might want a henrun ask us to bring the bits and if you change your mind we will take them home with us. We can even install it for you ($40 per hour for labour, most henruns take less than an hour to install).
Tooth File
Chickens are fierce creatures that grow long and sharp teeth that need to be filed down regularly. We sell files designed just for this purpose at $10 per file. Files are invisible, weigh nothing, and all money raised is given to charity.
NB: I’m kidding, hens don’t have teeth. I had this up on the website for years without a disclaimer and had heaps of orders for tooth files! Oops, just my sense of humour.
Certified Organic Stockfeed
Rentachook is one of the few in Sydney that can supply Certified Organic stockfeed. If you want convincing of the virtues of going organic, just ask me, I’m happy to bore you to tears on the subject. If you want to read my ruminations on the subject, please see the Chook Keeping page.
You pay a premium for it to be organic, but given the benefits, I obviously think it is worth it. Especially because (with a couple of hens) you are only likely to need three or four bags a year (depending on how many of the native wood pigeons you end up feeding!).
100% certified organic stockfeed comes in 25kg bags for $40 each. For the Vegetarians I can also supply totally animal product free, vegetarian feed for the same price.
Prices of feeds fluctuate quite a bit with droughts etc and so these prices are not fixed. I will try to keep the website updated though.
Feed can either be picked up from me in Ryde or delivered to your door (Sydney and surrounds including most of the Central Coast, Newcastle, Illawarra, and Blue Mountains) by a courier for $10 per bag.
The preferred option for payment is electronic funds transfer to my account, with your name as the reference so I can identify you (COD is fine for pickup). See the Contact Us page for contact details to email me to get the account number and to arrange pickup or delivery.
I usually dispatch feed by courier on a Thursday, so if you can contact me when you still have a week or so worth of feed that would help.
Chook Medications
I sell a number of products to promote and maintain chook health. I don’t recommend you buy any of them unless you have a sick chook (or are a must-have-everything type of person).
I also sell worming tablets (you should worm your chooks once a quarter). $10 buys you a year’s supply of worming tablets for two hens.
For a full list view our Pest Control catalog.
Supersize Me!!
If you find you love your chooks and want more, or don’t quite have the guts to buy a large coop from the outset (but really wanted the big one all along) we are happy to upgrade.
Upgrading from a standard coop to an Extra Large Coop within the first 6 weeks will cost you an extra $105 (plus delivery). After the first 6 weeks and within 3 months, it will cost you and extra $125 (plus delivery). After 3 months, we haggle over how much is paid for the standard coop that we pick up.
You get to keep your own chooks (of course) and can purchase more at the time of upgrade.
Delivery and Pickup
For full details on this please visit the Shipping Information page on our site.