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).

Click for a detailed description of how the renting works.

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);
• An Extra Large Eco-Coop designed for 6-8 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 Readymade Henrun. Actually, a Gate to let you into your henrun (without having to step over the fence);
• Chooks on their own, for those brave enough to build their own coops;
• Nesting Boxes forthose who’ve built their own coops;
• Tooth files for when the hen’s teeth get too long and sharp;
• Flatpack chicken coops in both Std size and XL for customers outside Sydney;and
• Certified Organic Chookfeed.

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).

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The Eco-Coop Package

TheEco-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* (3 maximum).

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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.

Extra Large Chicken Coop

If who want to keep more than 3 hens (the standard Eco-Coop can take up to 3 chooks) you might be interested in an Extra Large Coop. These are made to the same design as the Eco-Coop but are 2.3m long and 1.3m wide/high (quite a bit bigger), they have 2 perches and can accommodate up to 8 chooks*.

Extra Large Coops cost $395 for the coop (this includes feeder and waterer, some straw and food to get you started).

Chooks are sold separately at $20 per chook if you purchase a coop (otherwise $30 per chook). Eg: an Extra Large Coop and 2 chooks will cost you $435, or Coop and 4 chooks $475.

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 you start with 2 or 3 chooks and then you will have space to add more chooks in a few years time.

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 pour the food out of the feeder and fill it with water so the chooks have an alternate source of water if they spill one.  The food can be supplied in a dish (ice cream container etc) or make up another feeder out of a milk bottle and a coat hanger (I hereby permit you to copy and use my patented design).  

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 find 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. 

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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 18 and 22 weeks old. The chooks have been triple vaccinated and cost $30 per hen. 

Flatpack Coops – For Freight Anywhere in Australia

We offer both the standard 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 = $350, 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.

Freight Prices

Destination	Standard coop	Extra Large Coop
Wagga Wagga	$55	$75
Southern NSW	$55	$75
Canberra	$55	$75
Country NSW	$60	$90
Wollongong/Newcastle	$55	$75
Darwin/Alice Springs	$110	$170
NT Country	$155	$245
Brisbane, Sunshine Coast & Gold Coast	$65	$105
Queensland Country	$100	$160
Queensland Far North	$145	$240
Adelaide	$65	$100
Mount Gambier	$65	$100
Country South Australia	$80	$125
Hobart/Launceston	$90	$145
Tasmania Country On/Forwarding	$110	$180
Melbourne Metro	$55	$75
East Gippsland	$60	$90
Albury	$55	$75
Mildura	$60	$90
Horsham	$60	$90
Perth	$100	$160
WA Country	$145	$240

Note: Small towns incur a surcharge of $5.
Otherwise, customers are welcome to arrange their own freight.

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Readymade Henrun

Actually that's a lie, we don't sell readymade henruns. However, for $50 we will sell you a gate (with hinges and a latch) and two 1.2m hardwood gate posts. We used to make readymade henruns but ended up with lots of short lengths of cut wire when people miscalculated the length needed. 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).

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.

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.

Generally, you pay approximately a $10 premium (on a 25kg bag of feed) for it to be organic.  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 and Vegans 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.
Currently, there are two options for getting it to you:

Pickup from my place in Ryde; or
Delivery to your door by courier ($12 delivery fee).

I request prepayment for feed that is picked up and require it for delivery. The preferred option is electronic funds transfer to my account.  See the Contact Us page for contact details to get the account number and to arrange pickup or delivery. 

Please allow 2-3 days for delivery and pickup.  COD is fine if we can coordinate a time, email or me to arrange.

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 a 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 $20 each if you’d like.

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Delivery

Delivery is $50 to northern Sydney and $60 to southern Sydney. The delivery charge includes setting up in your yard and as much time as you need to answer all your questions (and build your confidence in your new venture).

Deliveries on Sydney’s outskirts (no offence meant if you live there but it is further away for us) such as Penrith/Lapstone, Campbelltown, Windsor etc cost $80.  Note: it is not always possible to arrange delivery to these areas (and a flatpack may be offered).

Delivery to other areas further afield (such as Wollongong and parts of the Central Coast, the Southern Highlands and the Blue Mountains) is usually best done by buying a flatpack coop.

Please Note:  Delivery charges assume we can carry the coop to your yard directly.  Even the standard coop is too wide to fit through a standard household door and the XL is just plain huge.  If in doubt, please let us know beforehand and we can bring a cordless screwdriver to dismantle the coops and reassemble them in the yard.  We charge an extra $10 for the time to do this.  Understandably, if you don’t let us know and we have to take the coop home with us we have to hit you up for a second delivery fee.

Dimensions of coops

Standard = 1.8m long and approximately 1m high/wide
Extra Large = 2.3m long and approximately 1.3m high/wide

Pickup

We are happy for customers to pick up their coop and chooks directly from us in Ryde, thus saving the delivery fee.
For this you will need a ute, a box trailer, an armoured progeny carrier (or did I mean 4WD urban-assault vehicle), or roof racks. The coops are larger than they look.

We can also prepare the coop for transport (like a flatpack) in a full size station wagon such as a Camry or Commodore.  There is an extra charge to knock the coop down and prepare it for flat transport of $10 to cover the time it takes us.

You need to check the space you have in your car/APC against the coop dimensions (in flatpack form) here:

• Standard coop 1.8m X 0.9m X 0.2m (and weighs approx 25kg); and
• Extra Large coop 2.3m X 1.2m X 0.3m (and weighs approx 40kg).