Escalating egg prices prompt more Connecticut residents to rent hens

Joe DeFrancesco and his wife Ida with two of their hens and the enclosure that Connecticut residents can rent for a six-month period. The DeFrancescos are farmers from North Branford and are the Connecticut affiliate for a Pennsylvania company, Rent The Chicken. A North Branford farmer said the surge in egg prices at the supermarket is resulting in increased demand for consumers renting hens, a service he has provided since 2019. Joe DeFrancesco said he hasn’t seen the level of interest in renting his hens since the start of the pandemic. DeFrancesco, who also raises hens to provide fresh eggs for his seasonal farm market in Wallingford , said last year was the first time he saw a decline in the hen rental business. "Now, people are eager to rent our hens because of the price of eggs," DeFrancesco said. One of the five rental options has already sold out, he said. The wholesale price on the New York market for large shell eggs in a carton delivered to retailers was in the $3.05 to $3.09 per dozen price range, according to the latest report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The retail price consumers pay is likely much […]

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