Chickens back on the agenda for Halifax council this week

Egg-laying chickens are on Tuesday's Halifax regional council agenda.

There is a proposal to consider changing bylaws to allow residents in more areas of the municipality to keep the chickens on their property in the interest of food security.

Keeping chickens on residentially zoned properties is something many bylaws don't currently anticipate, a staff report noted. At the same time, there is growing interest in keeping egg-laying chickens in Halifax.

"The rising interest in having chickens for personal use can be attributed to increasing concern about a lack of food security in communities and the detrimental impact of mass-produced and far-travelling food on our environment," the staff report stated.

"The growing popularity of raising chickens for personal use is not unlike the rising interest in community gardens and keeping personal honey-bee hives."

The report also mentioned opposition to allowing egg-laying chickens in residential areas. Some of those concerns include cleanliness, health and safety and nuisances.

But the report notes there are different organizations that have published resources for pubic use to promote proper handling and sanitary practices.

There are only three areas in the municipality that specifically prohibit keeping chickens: downtown Dartmouth, Dartmouth and Sackville Drive.

There is no mention of keeping chickens in land-use bylaws for Bedford, Halifax peninsula and the Halifax mainland, "which has led to confusion in how to deal with compliance cases regarding keeping chickens in those areas and a general lack of direction for regulators," the report noted.

Other parts of the municipality allow keeping chickens in areas where agricultural uses are permitted.

Between Jan 1, 2009, and May 1, 2019, the municipality received hundreds of inquiries regarding chickens.

• 155 customer service calls were about chickens-at-large or unsightliness and smell from neighbours with many chickens often in conjunction with other farm animals.
• 252 calls were about residents asking if keeping backyard chickens was allowed
• 280 calls were from residents who said they wanted to keep chickens.

Municipal staff said there is "a clear need" to update Halifax's planning policies.

The report noted a number of other municipalities have allow keeping chickens for personal use in residential areas and identified several common themes.

• A limited number of chickens per property.
• A hens and rooster distinction.
• Property line setbacks.
• Coop and outdoor space for chickens.
• Animal control bylaws.
• A registering or licensing system.
• Sale and slaughter prohibited.

The public would need to be involved if Halifax regional council decides to update existing bylaws regarding keeping chickens, the report noted.