Health

Will Vancouver allow residents to keep backyard chickens?

by mtippett | January 21, 2009 at 12:57 pm

424 views | 8 Recommendations | 11 comments

Victorians do it. New Yorkers do it. Seattleites do it. Will Vancouver be the next city to allow chickens to roost in its backyards?
Tomorrow (January 14), the Vancouver Food Policy Council will consider a motion to recommend changes to the city’s animal control bylaws that would make it legal for residents to keep chickens.

Urban food will become an increasingly important part of our food security. Done right, this could be a very positive step for the city.

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matthewlstevens

at 17:59 on January 21st, 2009

Backyard chickens are becoming common in Australia.

matthewlstevens has contributed a photo to this story.

gbmcclure

at 19:10 on January 21st, 2009

I live in one of the top ten most populated cities in America, and in order to ensure that animals do not suffer for my benefit I chose to raise these four Rhode Island Reds in my backyard. Waylon Jennings even has a song about the pleasures derived from watching chickens peck in your yard. I hope that those who also raise chickens are giving them the space they need be happy.

gbmcclure has contributed a photo to this story.

Sister Sage

at 19:52 on January 21st, 2009

This is my girl Clucky Star, a Seattle city chicken. She is great and gives us about 6 eggs a week! Each of our chickens have a different colored egg, with the majority laying different shades of brown, but the black chicken lays white eggs!

Sister Sage has contributed a photo to this story.

altrugon

at 09:22 on January 22nd, 2009

My brother and sister in-law leave in Victoria and have chicken in their backyard.

The chicken provide them with some food, eat their compost, and apparently are the best pets their daughter could have.

I never has tried eggs fresher that those and the shell is hard as a rock!

ipozzolo

at 09:23 on January 22nd, 2009

I'm all for it! My sister has chickens in her backyard in Victoria and they eat most of the food waste produced in the home, they create fertilizer, they produce fresh and tasty eggs (a couple of the hens even lay green ones!) and they are peaceful to watch running around. As long as people provide them with enough space and take care of them, I think it is a great thing for any city. Roosters are obviously another story...

thewindytree

at 11:06 on January 22nd, 2009

My friend has two chickens (Goldie and Hawn) in her Houston backyard. They are easy to care for, fun to watch, and provide fresh eggs daily. I want chickens now too!

thewindytree has contributed a photo to this story.

eastvanray

at 13:24 on January 22nd, 2009

In cities that permit this does this allow people to slaughter them for meat as well as harvest their eggs? If so, are home slaugheterhouses restricted to slaughtering thier own animals, also only chickens or other legal meat animals?

sara star

at 21:34 on January 31st, 2009

I agree, ipozzolo

I have no problems with chickens in the neighbourhood, but keep the roosters out. Can you picture that Kookadoodle Doo Lane.....? Hope there's a noise abatement law!

158

at 12:40 on February 1st, 2009

Chickens are good for meat and eggs but they are noisy and if not cleaned up after daily they can stink.

eastvanray

at 13:32 on February 1st, 2009

Maybe I can open up a nice neighbourhood abitour amd rendering plant.

smeraldinarima (not verified)

at 21:01 on February 10th, 2009

i had chickens in victoria before i moved to vancouver and i really miss them. we had 3 lovely hens that kept us company while we gardened. they loved to eat the fat juicy slugs too! i'm all for it happening here.