Feels like Springtime... but it isn't!

 Hello!

 

Homestead Jenn checking in!

 

Again, thank you to all who already made your reservation for 2026! For Hatch The Chicken rentals, we'll be in touch about a week before your delivery with more information. For Rent The Chicken rentals, we deliver in either April, May, or June depending on where you are located. Stay tuned for more details!

 

Wow... I know people can't stop talking about the snow (and apparently the Half-time Show but that's not what I'm going to chat about that!)! Here in Western Pennsylvania, we had about 18" of snow fall in about a 36 hour period on January 25-26! There's still a lot of snow outside but today's high is 51F (10C) so we are hopeful for a lot to melt today. We are thinking about Spring, baby chicks, chickens, and fresh eggs over here!

 

Yesterday, after all of the frigid temps recently, it was like a heat wave at 32F (0C) and the roads were clear enough for Homestead Phil (my husband and Co-Founder of Rent The Chicken) and I to bundled up and took a 26 minute brisk walk. It was glorious! See below for a photo.

 

In my last message, I mentioned that I had been sick. I felt better and went on a cruise to the Bahamas with my mom, my cousin, her daughter, and 6 of my mom's friends. See below for a beautiful photo I took from the ship. It was warm and lovely! My mom even zip-lined for the first time with some of her friends. I stayed on the ground where I was comfortable! haha Then... I got sick AGAIN when I got home. I'm feeling better now and hoping to not relapse ... again.

 

At any rate, I have more big news! Last time I wrote using this format, I announced that we now have Rent The Chicken rentals available again in New Jersey. Hooray!

 

I have three more locations to feature and announce as we continue to egg-spand:

 

Rent The Chicken backyard egg-laying hen rentals are available in all of Salt Lake City, Utah, Dallas / Fort Worth, and Kamloops and Okanagan, British Columbia in 2026!

 

For Rent The Chicken rentals, we've had Affiliate Partners in Dallas / Fort Worth previously as well as in the Interior of British Columbia. Rentals in these areas are baaaaaaaack! Here are some links for both Hatch The Chicken and Rent The Chicken:

 

Salt Lake City & Utah Valley - Rent The Chicken

Salt Lake City & Utah Valley - Hatch The Chicken

Dallas, Texas - Rent The Chicken

Dallas, Texas - Hatch The Chicken

Fort Worth, Texas - Rent The Chicken

Fort Worth, Texas - Hatch The Chicken

Kamloops & Salmon Arm, BC - Rent The Chicken

Kamloops, BC - Hatch The Chicken

Kelowna & Vernon, BC - Rent The Chicken

Kelowna, Salmon Arm, & Vernon - Hatch The Chicken

 

Homestead John & Rachel are providing Rent The Chicken & Hatch The Chicken to Dallas and Fort Worth. Homestead Mollie has been with us for about a year offering Hatch The Chicken to the interior of British Columbia but decided to offer Rent The Chicken as well! Homestead Devin join us last summer to offer Rent The Chicken & Hatch The Chicken to her local area in Utah. It's all egg-citing!

 

To see a list of all of our Rent The Chicken locations - click here.

For all of our Hatch The Chicken locations - click here.

To place a Rent The Chicken reservation online in the USA - click here.

To place a Hatch The Chicken reservation online in the USA - click here.

To place a Rent The Chicken reservation online in Canada - click here.

To place a Hatch The Chicken reservation online in Canada - click here.

**For Hatch The Chicken, before reserving it is best to find out what dates are available in your region. Feel free to respond to this email and I'll be happy to send the available dates over to you!

 

Wow.. I had more to say than I thought! Some of you who know me aren't surprised though! haha Until next time...

 

Stay warm and chat soon!

-Homestead Jenn

Rent The Chicken - Co-Founder 

Is this thing on?

 

Hello!   Homestead Jenn checking in! This post was from mid-January but I forgot to hit "publish" since it has been so long since I used this as a creative outlet! We are clucking along here in the New Year! Thank you to all who already made your reservation for 2026! Wow! We are making a lot of chicken dreams come true this year! For Hatch The Chicken rentals, we'll be in touch about a week before your delivery with more information. For Rent The Chicken rentals, we deliver in either April, May, or June depending on where you are located. Stay tuned for more details.   It has been a snowy and cold winter here in Western Pennsylvania. The snow has melted but we will see more soon... no doubt! Hens lay eggs based on daylight hours. With increased daylight hours, their egg production is slowly picking back up! For those who don't know, I'm quite the fitness junky. I've been sick on and off since Thanksgiving with respiratory issues so my fitness schedule came to a screeching halt! I went for one single run in December which was on Christmas Day. Homestead Phil, my husband and Co-Founder of Rent The Chicken, joined me as the weather was gorgeous! Pic or it didn't happen photo included below. (Well... for winter in Western Pennsylvania!) I'm feeling better and went for 3 walks in the past week so I'm well on my way to start running again. Hooray! At any rate, I have BIG news!   Rent The Chicken backyard egg-laying hen rentals are available in all of New Jersey for 2026!   Homestead Mike & Judy (pictured below with their kiddos, some of their chickens, and kitty) live in South Jersey and are egg-cited to offer Rent The Chicken in New Jersey! Here are links to the Rental Packages: Central / Southern New Jersey Northern New Jersey   To reserve online for a New Jersey (or anywhere in the USA) Rent The Chicken rental of backyard laying hens, click here. If you're in Canada near one of our locations, click here to reserve.   We also have Hatch The Chicken rentals available in New Jersey. Click here for more information. To reserve online for a New Jersey (or anywhere in the USA) Hatch The Chicken program to experience baby chicks hatching, click here. If you're in Canada near one of our locations, click here to reserve our Hatch The Chicken program. Stay warm and chat soon! -Homestead Jenn Rent The Chicken - Co-Founder

Reba!

You guys!

I don't know if I have shared my love of Reba (do I need to list her last name?) on this blog. I bet I could use the search feature I guess? haha At any rate, I loved her Reba TV show both when it was aired and reruns.  It makes me belly laugh and it helped me pull through some dark times in the midst of miscarrying our babies.  I love her songs. Her voice is amazing!  I loved her show Malibu Country. I watched a Christmas movie in December with her and John Schneider (the Dukes of Hazard guy - he's a singer, too!).

I think we'd be fast friends if I gave her a chance... I mean.. if she gave me a chance! :)  I've had these feelings for a long time!  

 It's official. At the time of this blog entry, I've seen her in concert THREE times.  

In 2008, I sold kitchen and laundry appliances and met a guy in the concert industry.  He said he could get amazing tickets at a discount.  When I learned that Reba was coming to town, I hit him up.  I posted on Facebook asking if anyone wanted to join me and a friend from high school's aunt took me up on the offer. She loves Reba nearly as much as me!  I was a single lady living outside of Baltimore, MD at the time.  The tickets were SECOND ROW!  It was AMAZING!  Reba puts on an amazing show and interacts with the crowd like she's performing in a small coffee shop. Well.. with amazing sound, digital graphics, and wardrobe changes! lol

 

She was in concert with Kelly Clarkson and it was a duet performance. Most songs they sang together but a few they did separately.  Melissa Peterman, the actress who played Barbra Jean on the Reba TV show, also joined the show and did some stand up comedy.  HILARIOUS!  I learned that day, I'm spoiled and LOVE the energy at the front of the concert!

 

Fast forward to 2010.  Reba was coming back to Baltimore!  Phil and I were married just over a year by then. I had my little baking business and we were watching every penny. I so badly wanted to visit and catch up with my friend Reba but couldn't justify the ticket price.  Phil, who loves me dearly, said that we should take money out of savings for the concert. I told him the price of the two tickets and he said that he didn't have to go. I translated that to be that I could spend the same amount on ONE ticket!  haha  Phil followed up to ask where I planned on parking. It was then that I requested for him to deliver me to the arena and pick me up so I didn't have to deal with the hassle of parking.  We lived only 20 minutes or so from there!  The stage was in the middle of the arena with essentially 4 front rows in which I was like 4 rows back but with direct eye shot of the one performing area!  They rotated between the sections. Reba was with George Straight and LeeAnn Womack! Man... I've never seen a man look so good in Wrangler jeans as George Straight!  They may have been custom fitted though? 

 

I also never thought I'd attend a concert by myself but it really was amazing! AND.. Melissa Peterman made another appearance at this concert!

Fast forward again to 2019.  The news broke that Reba was going on tour again and coming March 2020 to Pittsburgh which is only about 45 minutes from where we live now.  Homestead Phil suggested getting tickets for my Mom to attend with me as a Christmas / Birthday / Mother's Day gift.  Great plan! Well except what we know now about 2020. The concert was then postponed and then postponed again but it was held LAST NIGHT! I was all down and out because I still don't own any fringe, cowgirl boots, nor a cowgirl hat - same as the last two concerts. When will I invest in some fringe??

We were in the 3rd large section back from the stage on the floor with aisle seats.  There was a huge empty spot in front of the sound area next to our seats which allowed for us to venture into the aisle without being a fire hazard.  Brittney Spencer, an up and coming country artist, opened for Reba. She was lovely with a lot of passion and spunk!  In the midst of her concert, while admiring her mass amounts of fringe (which doesn't show well on the photo) it was in that moment that I realized that I own a Reba shirt from concert #1 and that of all times very appropriate to wear the shirt, last night would have been the MOST appropriate! haha

 

Then Reba came out! The digital graphics were incredible!  Her voice and stage presence were amazing! Her wardrobe changes were amazing! Her interaction with the crowd was incredible!  Even a great tribute to the Reba TV show that I love!  "I'm a Survivor"

 

They digitally produced a few other artists on the screen behind her and even put her live feed video on the screen with one of the other performers that was prerecorded. I don't know much about how that stuff works but I was impressed!  I'm also pretty sure that I need a signature font for my name like Reba has!

In honor of my fashion fail yesterday, I'm wearing my Reba shirt circa 2008 today while writing this blog. 

 Next time, maybe I'll write about chickens? Eh.. we'll see! We did have selfies at an event in Nashville with a chicken named Reba! The other hen at the event was Dolly. When in Nashville... right?