Chicken-sitting service for (sub)urban flocks

Driven by the local food movement and the prospect of fresh eggs, more urban and suburban households are taking up small-scale backyard chicken farming. Tapping into that trend, Just Us Hens is a new Portland-based venture dedicated to tending local hens when their owners go away on holidays. Launched in May, Just Us Hens’ chicken-sitting service includes twice daily visits to let the birds out and in, replenish their food and water and hose them down when the weather gets hot. In addition to their USD 15 per visit chicken-sitting, Just Us Hens also offers wing clipping and beak trimming for USD 25, and chicken farming consultations for beginners at USD 50 per hour. With around 65 percent of major US cities allowing residents to maintain small flocks of chickens in their backyards, perhaps there is a demand for expert chicken-sitting services in other poultry-permissive areas? It’s (Related: Peer-to-peer petsitting service — Try-before-you-buy urban chicken farming.) Spotted by: CNN Money via Cecilia Biemann