Evidence of approval of keeping backyard hens flies in face of city bylaw
By Timothy Schafer
Birds of a feather are flocking together in Nelson.
Over 80 per cent of the respondents to a non-sanctioned survey regarding backyard hens in Nelson have spoken out “very much in favour” or “moderately in favour” of a bylaw allowing the birds.
The Nelson Backyard Hen survey undertaken by Nelson resident Anne Simonen has added another layer of evidence in favour of amending the Animal Control bylaw which prohibits poultry in city backyards.
The survey received nearly 200 responses in two weeks with “valuable feedback from residents both in favour and opposed to backyard hens,” noted Simonen in a recent press release.
She felt the survey results illustrated both sides of the issue, but was also able to address them as well.
“These concerns are being successfully managed in communities of all sizes, rural and urban, all over the country,” Simonen wrote.
“This survey showed that Nelson residents recognize that backyard hens, like any pet, come with responsibilities, and Nelson is ready to take them on.”
In the survey it was asked if people were on board with the particulars of a draft bylaw regarding chickens, including:
- No keeping of roosters;
- allowing two to five hens per lot;
- fully enclosed coops;
- regulating a maximum size of coops with minimum property offsets; and
- required registration.
“From the perspective of the bylaw, people wanted to make sure that property offsets wouldn’t be onerous, coops would be kept clean, chicks would be allowed, and a hens’ well-being is considered in coop design,” Simonen wrote.
In late March Simonen petitioned city council with information regarding a proposal to amend the current Animal Control Bylaw to allow backyard hens within city limits.
Although a motion was made to refer the matter to city staff to appear at the next business meeting of council, it was instead put on the priority setting meeting agenda for this spring, since city staff were already overloaded with new work and pending legislation.
According to the survey, concerns were rated with predators at the top of the list, followed by vermin and smell.
“These concerns can be mitigated by a well-crafted bylaw, and over 50 per cent of respondents said they would view backyard hen keeping more favourably if the concerns were addressed by the bylaw,” Simonen pointed out.
Support for harbouring hens was also indicated in the survey, with nearly half of the respondents noting they would adopt hens if the bylaw were changed.
Access to eggs, composting of kitchen scraps, source of manure and educational opportunities for children were some of the upsides of keeping hens.
“These benefits were also reflected when a significant number of respondents indicated community building and food security as reasons to allow hen keeping in the final comments section of the survey,” said Simonen.
In 2009 city council asked city staff to research backyard hens in Nelson, with staff proposing a bylaw amendment, but the proposal was postponed until more research could be done.
Two years later a proposal to amend the animal control bylaw to allow backyard hens passed. At the time the council passed a motion that staff proceed with public consultation, but the process ended there.
Residents looking to show their support for backyard hens can visit nelsonbackyardhens.wordpress.com for next steps.
Proposed city bylaw
Possible parameters of an animal control bylaw that includes chickens:
- five-metre setback from a neighbour’s doors or windows with a one m. property line setback;
- maximum four hens with a minimum four months old at adoption and no roosters;
- minimum coop space and run space per hen up to nine square metres and three m. tall;
- coop to be enclosed on all sides, with sides buried to prevent burrowing vermin and predators;
- feed to be kept secured from rodents and other animals outside the hen enclosure;
- no slaughtering or sale of eggs, manure or other products; and
- registration fee required.
— Source: Anne Simonen
