By Chuck Bentley

Practicing good stewardship of the land and eating healthy food can present a number of challenges, even for basic items like eggs. The price of a dozen eggs soared more than 30 percent in just one month to $2.57 in June from $1.96 in May.

Some Americans prefer to eat eggs from chickens they’ve raised themselves rather than buy eggs from their local store, at least for now. But the overhead investment on a backyard flock can be steep. And it’s a big commitment. What’s a sustainability-minded omelet lover to do? How about renting a chicken?

RentTheChicken.com, a company with 12 affiliate locations in the U.S. and Canada—say they’ll rent you your own egg-laying chickens.

It might give you peace of mind to know where your eggs come from, but even accounting for the recent surge in egg prices, it still works out to be six times more expensive than buying a dozen eggs at a supermarket. It costs $400 to rent two chickens or $600 for four chickens for six months, including a coop, food, and water dish. There’s free delivery within 50 miles of one of the company’s locations. The first plan works out at around $16 for a dozen eggs, assuming you get around a dozen eggs a week.

For many, this may sound crazy, but the business allows you to try it out and offers you the option to return the chicken at any time. I hope this gives you some alternative ideas to keep your family healthy and be good stewards at the same time!

Originally posted 8/6/2015.