Chickens coming soon to backyards in Brant County

After years of rejecting the idea, Brant councilors have voted in favor of allowing backyard chickens in all residential areas of the county.

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At a planning and development committee meeting on Tuesday, councilors weighed the pros and cons of the four options presented to them, which included a pilot project, keeping the status quo (only permitting chickens on lots zoned agricultural), allowing flocks in non-urban residential areas, or allowing them in all residential zones.

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Mayor David Bailey put the option that would allow them in all residential zones on the table, arguing it’s “ridiculous” that folks in nearby Brantford can have chickens on a downtown street, while someone living on a three-acre property in the county can’ t.

Locals in favor of urban chickens spoke to the inflation-proof source of protein from their eggs, and the added health and environmental benefits.

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“They are as local as you can get, they consume kitchen waste that’s diverted from the landfill, they reduce damaging insects like ticks in the yard,” said Lisa Wood, who grew up on a farm and would like to get two or three hens to keep her active outdoors when she retires.

Aside from worries that allowing chickens would bring smells, noise, and rodents — points that were refuted by delegate Brandon Crawford, who works in humane wildlife control — the biggest concern cited was biosecurity.

The risk of spreading avian influenza to humans or nearby commercial coops was one of the reasons the City of Toronto cited for discontinuing their UrbanHensTO pilot program, delegate Patrick Draper said, asking council not to underestimate the adverse health concerns.

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Of the six councilors who voted in favor of allowing backyard chickens to all areas, several cited the fact that there are already chickens in urban and non-urban areas of the county that, as Coun. Steve Howes put it, “fly under the radar.”

Making it legal and putting in parameters would ensure flocks are kept responsibly and minimize risks.

Regulations around livestock in the County of Brant have remained unchanged since 2001 — permitting chickens strictly in agriculturally zoned areas — although locals have asked for amendments over the years, most recently in 2016.

At an administration and operations committee meeting in May, Burford resident Casey Nykorak asked council to allow her to keep backyard chickens on her rural road property, prompting staff to revisit the matter.

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While nearly 100 people signed a petition in support of urban chickens in the county, Greg Bergeron, director of enforcement and regulatory services, said he anticipated a smaller number following through and getting chickens.

He told council Brantford has only had 48 registrations for backyard chickens since permitting them last year.

But before locals can begin collecting their own eggs, county staff need to draft specific regulations and prepare bylaws to go to council in the second quarter of 2024, said Jessica Kitchen, policy planner for the county.

The public will be made aware of meetings to be held in 2024, she said.

Celeste Percy-Beauregard is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter based at the Hamilton Spectator. The initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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