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ADVENTURE FOR
EVERYONE
ADVENTURE FOR
EVERYONE
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It's not all about the eggs, it's about the experience! A large number of our rentals go out to the city where most children and even some adults never get a chance to experience having chickens or let alone know where and how eggs are produced.
This is most definitely a learning experience for all or a return to their roots growing up on a a farm. All of the feedback we receive is positive, customers with children have been amazed at how little time they are spending on technology and how much time they spend with the hens, some hens are even coming back trained as pets!!
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Assuming you are part of the growing number of townships and small cities in Ontario that are allowing backyard chickens then this is your opportunity to
"Rent a Chicken"
Without the hassle or worry of keeping chickens over the winter. We have a few options available that will more than likely suit your needs or at least spark your interest.
A majority of municipalities are allowing up to 3 chickens and if you have a rural property without any restrictions then we can accommodate that too. Our chickens will provide you with the best free range eggs that you could possibly ask for. We have a variety of different breeds which are listed below and next year our blue and olive egg layers will be of age and available to rent.
The chickens pictured above from left to right or top to bottom if you are browsing on mobile, are the Red sex link, the barred Plymouth rock and the Columbian rock. these birds are all very productive and will give you on average an egg a day for the 5 month rental period. All three breeds produce brown eggs.
Most of our chicken tractors are like the one shown at the top of the page, they are 5 feet x 4 feet and approximately 42 inches high. large enough for 4 chickens to move around comfortably. They are light weight and easy to move around. These also come with a base for the tractor to sit on during the evening making them predator proof!
BREED AVAILABILITY
BREED AVAILABILITY
As of 2022 we will only be offering the Red sexlink Laying hen. These are the most productive of the layers. we have offered specialty hens in the past however, they have a tendency to go broody(wanting to hatch eggs) at which point they stop laying altogether.
DELIVERY DATES
Please note that the health and welfare of our hens is of the utmost importance and delivery dates may change with little notice due to inclement weather. Depending on your location, deliveries start as soon as weather permits and continue into June. The later you receive your delivery, the later we pick up in the fall.
SERVICE AREAS
We service most parts of Ontario however, due to the cost of fuel our delivery charges will raise significantly. we advise that if you have the means to pick up on you own it would save you money. we are still delivering within 50 k of the farm.
In 2020 we had a large number of rentals in the city of Toronto, along with Campbellville, Schomberg, Mulmur, Honey Harbour and Barrie.
in 2021 we have expanded with deliveries to Muskoka and Parry sound, Kingston and Hamilton. Some areas such as Kingston
What Happens to the chickens after the rental program is over?
There are a few different scenarios after the rental program is over,
1- Many customers grow attached to their hens and wish to purchase the package at the end of the term.
2- Some customers purchase the package but cant keep the hens over winter so we attach a band to one of their
legs identifying them. They overwinter with us and are returned the following year and so on after.
3-The rental is returned to our farm where the hens stay for the winter and are rented out again the following year.
we keep our hens for at least 3 years at which point egg production drops significantly and they are sold for soup hens. please keep in mind that we are a farm business and not a sanctuary, most of our livestock become food for human consumption at some point. NONE of our chickens or any livestock end up in sanctuaries!
4- If we end up with too many Hens, they are sold as replacements or new flocks for hobby farmers or backyard chicken enthusiasts.
What about diseases?
Again, please note that the health and welfare of our hens is of the utmost importance, we work closely with our vet to ensure that our hens are healthy. Any new hens coming to the farm are quarantined and health checked as well as the hens that are returning.
- It is highly advisable to wash your hands after handling the chickens and avoid contact with your mouth as you would with any animal.
- Prevent wild birds from entering the coop
- Clean waterers and feeders regularly, for your health and the health of the chickens.
- These are just precautions, we have been raising chickens for more than 40 years, I started when I was 10 years old and my children have grown up with chickens their entire life so far. we have never encountered any sickness in ourselves nor our chickens.
When Contacting us
We would love to talk to all of our customers on the phone however, we are a working farm and spend our days tending to our livestock, crops/fields, Bees and doing repairs. email is the Best way to contact us for placing an order or asking questions which may not be answered below. Please give us as much info in the contact form as you can so that we can answer your questions in a timely manner. when we receive an email we try to hold a spot for you for at least two days. if we haven't heard back then we disregard the email and open your spot. we do this because we receive up to 20 emails per day for chicken rentals alone! We reply to every email and send a follow-up the next day.
If you decide you would like to book a package, we send you an invoice for the full amount of the rental plus delivery if applicable and addons. when you receive the invoice we require a 25% deposit to secure your order. If we don't receive the deposit within 5 days we will cancel your order and offer to the next in line, this keeps the process fair for everyone. If after you have received the invoice you decide you no longer wish to rent please let us know, don't leave us hanging!
Once your order is confirmed with deposit, we will contact you a few days before delivery to set up a time, we try to deliver three orders at once to the same area so you will need to ensure that someone is home to accept the order and sign for it. Remainder of the invoice is due in the morning of the delivery date before the order is dropped. We will send you a reminder the evening before deliver so that the process will go as smooth as possible and have minimal contact.
Thank you for you interest!! we are sure you will enjoy your rental experience!
Standard rental package PRICING &DETAILS
- 5 month rental, deliveries starting in May and June - pickup end of Oct to the beginning of November depending on weather.
Delivery, setup and pick-up(delivery charge may apply depending on location.
2 Ready to lay, Laying hens which are approximately 24 weeks of age.
1 Standard mobile chicken coop/tractor, 4x5, with evening base. Tractor is predator proof.
Feeder and water fountain
50 kg of conventional layer crumb. substitute for Organic for an additional 15.00 bag
Rental package starts at $550.00 Plus HST.
If you wish to purchase instead of renting the cost is $ 750.00 for the complete package which includes everything listed above. we do recommend renting to start off with to be sure you will be confident taking care of the hens. (If you are renting and don't want to part with your new feathered friends just pay the remainder at the end of the term if you wish to keep the package.)
If you would like to proceed, please email us with you full name and address, contact number and email address. Let us know how many hens you would like, if more than 2 you will also need an extra bag of feed. Any add on items also, once we receive the above information an invoice will be sent for the full amount, once you receive the invoice we will require a 25% deposit to secure your booking. Deposits are due within 5 days of receipt of the invoice. Please understand that we have a limited number of packages available and many interested parties, if deposits are not received within the allotted time then we will offer the package to the next person in line.
Delivery of the rental package will start at the beginning of may and continue to mid or end of June.
What can I add to the package?
- Extra chickens, depending on by-laws $16.00/chicken (maximum of 2 extra)
- Extra conventional feed $17.00/bag extra Organic non GMO feed $29.95/bag
- Meal worms, chickens love these as snacks! 8 oz. bag, $18.00
- Dust bath bin for you to add dirt for the hens to clean themselves, recommended if you are not planning to let them out! $20.00
Purchase option is also available at the end of the rental term in the event that you may not want to part with your feathery friends.
Please note; when booking, deposits are required within 5 days to secure your spot as we have a limited number of rentals available. If we don't receive your deposit within the 5 days then we will offer your spot to the next person in line.
What our customers are saying
What our customers are saying
“
Your rent-a chicken program was amazingly helpful, and I only have good things to say. The chicken rental was a perfect choice for us, knowing that the chickens were ours but having the freedom of being able to consider wether this is what we wanted was a truly magnificent idea. Thanks so much!
Gigi Wortley
Mulmur Ont.
Dave
”
What our customers are saying
What our customers are saying
“
Last year our family was considering getting a dog, somehow we settled on chickens. Knowing next to nothing about chickens, we met Dave Veenstra at the Creemore farmers market. He offered a Rent A chicken service, he provides both the chickens and the mobile handcrafted cedar chicken coop. He made the whole process very simple and guided us through all the dumb questions we asked about what chickens need to survive, how to protect them from predators and general maintenance. He also provided us with organic feed and delivered it to our door. If there was ever an issue or question, Dave was always available to respond. Typically the chicken rental program runs from the end of May(when they are delivered)to early November when both chickens and coop are picked up and over-wintered on Dave's farm. However as we co-existed with our now named chickens, we wondered if we could buy out our rental and keep the chickens along with the coop. That is what we did, after a full year we are thankful that we met Dave and his chickens - and even more thankful for our daily eggs, if you are on the fence about whether or not to give backyard chickens a try, don't hesitate to contact Dave, you wont be disappointed.
Steve Sopinka
Creemore Ontario
Dave
”
What our customers are saying
What our customers are saying
“
As Canadian family with 2 daughters (age 10, 7) living in the UK, we had travel plans to Toronto for a family wedding just as COVID lockdown started. We are fortunate to have a cottage in Honey Harbour which proved to be our safe haven as we rode out the pandemic.
During peak lockdown, the idea of renting chickens came as a unique way to change the channel to anything non-COVID. I can across Timberwind Farms after a simple Google search and we were able to have the chickens delivered to our doorstep (along w their coop, 2 bags of feed and a book about raising chickens). These chickens became more than a new conversation topic. They were our COVID therapy. They provided us with adventures as trying to catch a chicken is no easy task. And stories to tell that I'm sure will be repeated for years to come.
Dave was easy to work with. Always available by email and quick to respond. Whether when it was when we had our first escapee that we scared under our neighbour's cottage (Dave shared his prolific wisdom to keep an eye out as chickens like to come home to roost, which she did). Or after a fox dug a hole under the hen house. Dave turned around with with a solution to safeguard the chickens and 4 new hens to replace the ones we lost at no cost.
The chickens were a joy to host. They became a local attraction to our cottage country town. Once lockdown restrictions eased in the summer, we sold eggs like a lemonade stand and raised over $1000 for our local food bank and BLM. The chickens changed our conversation and kept it going. Highly recommend this experience with Timberwind Farms.
Lindsay Fleming
Honey Harbour Ont.
UK
Dave
”
What our customers are saying
What our customers are saying
“
We rented 2 chickens this summer (2020) from Timberwind Farms and it was a fantastic experience. They were super easy to care for, not smelly and so entertaining. It only took a few days and the hens warmed right up to us. They were friendly, entertaining and loving companions plus they gave us great eggs everyday. An incredible experience that taught something to the whole family. Such a rewarding experience. Thank you Timberwind Farms.
Patti Maxim
Kearney Ont.
Dave
”
What our customers are saying
What our customers are saying
“
Thank you Dave for putting in the hard work beforehand so that we could have three beautiful young ladies stay with us over the summer. I've wanted chickens for a long time and it was quite difficult to find some this summer because of the pandemic, but Dave came through!
We were surprised at how easy they were to keep. They were super quiet, except when it came to laying time.. Everyday, they let us know that something big was happening - egg on the way! And by the way, we did get an egg every single day from each of the girls.
Also, we couldn't believe how sweet and curious and gentle they were. We ate dinner outside every night this summer so we could hang out with the girls, and we never got bored of seeing them clucking around doing their chicken things. They really were a delight and my husband and I are so happy we had the experience.
Lindsay Karabanow
Toronto Ont.
Dave
”
What our customers are saying
What our customers are saying
“
“When the pandemic hit, we decided to get chickens. We found Dave online and loved the idea of a chicken rental. He provided everything that we needed! The coop was high quality, our eight chickens were very comfortable, and although there was evidence of predators trying to get in, none were successful.
Dave was always available for any questions we had or the supplies we needed. He even switched two of our hens from white to brown at our children's request.
The chickens were lots of fun, and having fresh eggs was terrific. We were sad to say goodbye when we moved back to the city.
We would recommend Dave/Timberwind Farm and the chickens to anyone.
Holly Coll-Black
Mulmur & Toronto”
Dave
”
What our customers are saying
What our customers are saying
“
“Thanks Dave for providing the kids and I with something to do during the COVID-19 restrictions. We enjoyed just sitting on our back deck and watching the chickens do their thing. When one found a worm the other would quickly run over (which in itself brought laughter to the kids) to share in the fest. The chickens were outside of their coop every day and even though they had access to the provided food they would prefer searching our backyard for “live” food. They did seem to really enjoy the watermelon and cantaloupe ends that we gave them. They would come running towards us if we had such items in our hands. They ended up finding a way under our deck at the same time we noticed that there were not any eggs in the nest so somehow I need to figure out how to find and retrieve about eight eggs from under our deck. There was never a need to try and catch them as when it became dark the chickens automatically went inside their coop. Any messes they made in our backyard was easily dissolved by using the garden hose (thanks to Dave for that tip). Overall it was a great experience!
Shane Bywater
Barrie
Dave
”
What our customers are saying
What our customers are saying
“
Dear Dave and family,
I just wanted to write to thank you again for the wonderful opportunity of having chickens in our backyard over the summer.
Our kids, and my husband and I, loved it. The kids learned a lot about keeping animals and about the work involved in where our food comes from. Somehow, the chickens also cured one of my kids of her fear of dogs. Instead of being inside and on devices, we were outside a lot to see the chickens. They were very amusing, great company in the garden, and it was amazing to have so much of our kitchen scraps diverted to feeding them. Plus, the eggs were delicious!
We hope Ginger and Nutmeg have settled back in at your farm. And, we wish you and your family all the best for the rest of the year and next.
As the pandemic looks to continue for the foreseeable future, we would like to have the chickens again next year. Please keep us in mind as you plan your chicken rentals next year.
All best wishes,
Lara
(2020)
Dave
”
What our customers are saying
What our customers are saying
“
Many thanks to Dave and his family for the wonderful hen-keeping experience this summer. What a fun, educational, community-building, and grounding project! "Our" two hens, Ginger and Mary Ann, were curious, cuddly, often hilarious, and always up for a conversation. And we had two perfectly fresh and pretty eggs every morning--what's not to love?!
If you're wondering if this is a project that you can take on in the city--don't worry! We live a block from the Bloor subway in Toronto, have a tiny yard, a busy street, and lots of foot traffic. And yet, it all went swimmingly well. Neighbours LOVED our hens! Keeping the hens clean, fed. and safe is like having any other pet--it requires care and attention. But so well worth it! Still on the fence? Why not partner up with another family to split the care time required, but still have all the fun? Of course, then you'll have to share the eggs. ;)
Thanks again, Dave!
--Jenn Cruickshank
(2021)
Dave
”
What our customers are saying
What our customers are saying
“
Dave and his family made this an incredible experience for my daughter and I. The coop they provided was easy to clean and to keep the hens safe. The 2 hens quickly became a member of our family and were constant entertainment for the whole street. Would definitely do this again.
Treacey Sheehan
Toronto
(2021)
Dave
”