Many visitors to Winterpast Farm are familiar with Farmer Mary’s RENT-A-RABBIT program. She also rents guinea pigs, baby chicks, ducklings (seasonal). A week gives most families a chance to see if this particular animal is a good fit for them and some families rent just for fun.
Farmer Mary recently came across a local company that will rent you chickens for two weeks to try them out for a while. Here is information from the company:
Rent A Chicken Experience program is the perfect solution! You’ll get to try out ownership, but without the commitment and at a fraction of the cost! The program is simple, and works like this:
For a fee of $125 (plus refundable $50 security deposit), for a period of two weeks, we will place at your home our chicken tractor, two of our award-winning Heritage Breed laying hens, bedding material, feeder and waterer, enough of our locally sourced all natural feed to last, a short instructional/Q&A session, and an FAQ handout. You’ll enjoy daily fresh eggs (usually one per hen per day), and experience for yourself how easy these birds are to care for. After two weeks, we will come back and remove the entire operation.
We advertise this “instant” setup for sale without the rental for $400. Should you want to purchase the setup at your home at the end of the rental period, we would offer it to you for $350. You can keep the hens you rented if you choose, or we can provide you with another pair of hens of most common breeds. We can also recommend and supply you with coops, hens, and accessories should you want to set up a larger flock.
We are located between Garner and Clayton, not far from I-40 Exit 306. Due to gas prices, a delivery fee of $25 may be added if you are more than about 25 miles from us.
Find out if a backyard flock is right for your family with The Triangle’s ORIGINAL Rent A Chicken!
Questions? Call 919-88O-2923.
Try it and let Farmer Mary know how it goes!
Farmer Mary and daughter, Elizabeth, spent the afternoon today at Taylor’s Wine Shop helping raise funds for STOP HUNGER NOW.
Elizabeth walked BA BA the sheep around on a leash and children (of all ages!) had fun meeting, feeding and holding DOT and RALPH the baby goats, HONEY BUNNY and her child BLACK VELVET. Guinea pigs CINNAMON, PEACHES and OREO enjoyed alot of cuddling as did the two small brown ducklings and MOONLIGHT SWIRL the bunny. New baby chicks were looked at and petted safely with one finger.
Farmer Mary was happy to donate her time, and her animals, to this good cause.
Started in 2005 as a way for a few neighbors to show off their hens and coops, the Henside the Beltline Tour D’Coop has grown to a one-day garden tour that encompasses 20 coops and thousands of visitors. The event raises non-perishable food and money for Urban Ministries, a Raleigh-based non-profit that provides essential services to close to 20,000 Triangle residents each year. Coop owners and the tour organizers volunteer their time to promote back yard poultry and urban farming.
This year the tour is Saturday May 17 from 10-4.
Visit www.tourdecoop.com for more information. This year there is a special bike-based map promoting bicycling around the tour.
Thurs (5/15) closed
Fri (5/16) 10-6
Sat (5/17) closed -away events
Sun (5/18)1-7
Mon (5/19) 2-6
Tues (5/20) 10-4:30
Wed (5/21) 10-5
Thurs (5/22) closed
Fri (5/23) 10-6
Turkey eggs should hatch very soon!
Read ” your visit” page before scheduling your visit.
Did you know you can rent a pet from Winterpast Farm? For $35 you get the animal, cage, feed and everything you need for a week. Farmer Mary mostly rents guinea pigs and bunnies. She has also rented baby goat on a bottle to a girls slumber birthday party, a variety of farm animals to a country style event, a piglet to a family who was considering buying a pig (that family learned alot, had fun, and did not buy a pig pet!) She has rented a goat to be jokingly exchanged for a bride at a wedding, a baby goat, ducklings, chicks, a hen…just ask! Families and individuals rent for a wide variety of reasons:
Considering adding a furry friend to your household? Rent first and try it out instead of buying!
Dad out of town on a business trip? Miss him a bit less with a new furry friend to take care of.
Grandkids coming for a weekend or for a holiday? Rent a nice bunny and be their very favorite Grandparent!!
Stepkids coming for a stay? Rent a pet to help ease the transition.
Homeschool family studying animals…check with Farmer Mary and rent something interesting to watch develop!
TEMPORARY CLASSROOM PET option works like this. You rent a pet and then ask your child’s classroom teacher if s/he would like a temporary classroom pet; it might be one day, two..or all week. Meanwhile the child is “king of the classroom”, the parents who provided the animal are considered great, and the entire class enjoys a temporary furry or feathered friend. And, the family probably learns they don’t need to buy a pet..why buy when you can take it back to Winterpast Farm and, later on, rent something else?
This rental all helps pay to feed and house all the many many former pets who now live at Winterpast Farm. Large families may want to rent a pair of bunnies or guinea pigs. This is only $20 more (price went up from $10 for additional animal) and only when available. Shorter term rental (for a photo shoot or event at your home, for example) is still $35.
Even if you don’t rent a pet, pass on the news to friends and let’s help recycle existing pets instead of creating more!
When you rent a bunny you get:
1. a bunny (sometimes you get to pick from a few;sometimes Farmer Mary picks. If you pick please be aware you will only spend a few moments doing this. A bunny pick up (or drop off) is NOT a farm tour. A farm tour can be arranged at that time, but is a separate event with $10 per person admission.)
2. A “bunny bag” which holds food, hay, water and food bowls, newspaper for bedding (some choose to buy their own shredded bedding-feel free), and book about bunnies so your child can read more. Sometimes a folding pet pen goes along (Farmer Mary loves when these are donated!) so your child and bunny can safely spend some time outdoors together.
