Urban chickens not welcome in Calgary: committee

A Calgary council committee has rejected a pilot project that would have allowed 200 homeowners to raise chickens in their backyards.

The homeowners had petitioned the city to change its bylaw preventing residents from raising livestock in most urban areas in order to allow each of them to raise six hens in their backyards.

Committee turned down the plan Wednesday over concerns about noise, odours and potential health risks associated with the chickens.

Bill Bruce, head of the city's bylaw services department, said several Calgarians are already raising chickens in their backyards and will now have to get rid of their animals or they'll face fines of up to $200.

"We'll have discussions with the people we know that have chickens … they knew that if council did not go ahead with [the project]  that we would be given 30 days to remove their birds," Bruce said.

Paul Hughes, a member of the Calgary Liberated Urban Chicken Klub said council's decision was short-sighted.

Hughes, who raises several chickens on his property, said he is not planning on getting rid of the birds. 

He told CBC News that he'll wait until he is given a ticket by the city for raising livestock and then fight it in court.