Kayley’s Coop
Clive, Iowa 50325
Kayley Gill of Des Moines may be the owner of Kayley’s Coop, but she will be the first one to tell you that she couldn’t do it without her flock of helpers. After all, Rosie, Annie, Comet, Buffy, Baby, and Bobbie Sue faithfully keep her supplied with fresh eggs to sell. What began as a backyard family hobby of raising chickens has now blossomed into a part-time business enterprise for 27-year-old Kayley, who has an intellectual disability and needs 24/7 supervision and assistance.
Kayley’s mom, Susan Gill, says that the great thing about self-employment is that it can allow Kayley to hire employees to provide transportation, to help with preparing the products, and to meet her supervision needs.
Kayley is described by her mother as a “born salesperson,” who loves to visit with people. At the time the idea for Kayley’s Coop was born, Kayley enjoyed attending the Farmers’ Market in Johnston, where her friend, Jordan Paulsen was a vendor. Kayley decided to test the market to see if people would buy fresh eggs, so she purchased part of Jordan’s space at the Farmers’ Market and gave it a try. The eggs sold very well and it was clear she could have sold even more.
With assistance from her family, Kayley decided to establish the egg selling business. Doing that involved pursuing the necessary approval from the Department of Public Health, ordering egg cartons, creating labels, and planning how to set up and sell her product. Kayley prepares for the Farmers’ Market by putting the eggs in the cartons and affixing the Kayley’s Coop label. She accommodates her disability by taking a stool to sit on and by using a bucket on rollers to transport goods and supplies. Kayley’s mom and dad pitch in with cleaning the coop and washing the eggs, and other family members help from time to time as well.
Kayley’s Coop is home to chickens only - no roosters allowed. That’s because a city ordinance prohibits roosters and limits the number of chickens in residence to twelve. Kayley hopes to add a few more chickens to her brood in the near future, and eventually expand to meet that 12-chicken limit. During the Farmers’ Market season, she will be at her stand, stocked with fresh eggs for breakfast or baking, and ready for customers.