Egg prices are rising in America. The average cost of a dozen eggs hit a record $4.95 in January — up 53% from a year earlier. The price was below $2 in early 2022. While the coronavirus pandemic and inflation have affected prices, experts say the real problem has been bird flu. An outbreak that began in early 2022 has become the largest in US history, affecting more than 100 million egg-laying hens. To cope with rising egg prices, some Americans have been going straight to the source — and renting hens. Rent The Chicken in New Hampshire is letting people rent egg-laying hens for six months at a time. For $595, you get two egg-laying hens and a guide on how to take care of them, as well as chicken feed and a coop to keep the birds in. The birds actually aren't very difficult to take care of, explains Brian Templeton, owner of Rent The Chicken. "You just let them out and walk around and they go in at night on their own," he told CBS News. "People really enjoy it," he added. Rent The Chicken says two hens should produce eight to 14 eggs per week. That comes to about $25 for every dozen eggs — so it's not really a savings. You can also get four hens for $735, which would reduce your cost to about $15 per dozen eggs. However, if you'd like to keep your chickens and coop at the end of your rental period, you can — for an extra $350 to $450. According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, hens will usually live for six to eight years, and produce eggs for three to four of those years. So that might bring your price down over time.