Toronto could pause its backyard chicken pilot program in light of bird flu cases

City staff have recommended an indefinite pause on Toronto's backyard chicken program, citing concerns about rising cases of the H5N1 virus – also known as avian influenza – in the province. 

Earlier this month, Toronto Animal Services confirmed there have been cases in the Greater Toronto Area. The City of Mississauga also reported confirmed cases in early April. 

Former city councillor Sarah Doucette has housed chickens on her property in Swansea for the past four years. 

She currently has two hens, Ruby and Stella, that she refers to as her "therapy chickens."

"They produce beautiful eggs every day, they provide me compost for my vegetable garden, and they're companions," she told CBC Toronto. "To see the program [might] be paused indefinitely, it's very sad."

The UrbanHensTO pilot program officially launched in March 2018 after years of debate at Toronto city council. The program allowed people in four former City of Toronto wards to legally keep up to four hens – though no roosters – in their yard. 

There are currently around 80 households enrolled in the program.

The pilot was originally set to end in 2021 but was later extended.

Now, in addition to avian flu concerns, a recent report from city staff says continuing the program and expanding it to the rest of the city would cost too much. The report will be considered by the Economic and Community Development Committee on April 25.

Esther Attard, the director of Toronto Animal Services, told CBC Toronto that no additional staff were hired to oversee the pilot. 

"We would need additional staff to manage this program properly as it expands, " she said. "If it expands and becomes permanent then we would need specific resources to maintain it." 

That would include personnel to inspect coops to ensure they are zoned properly and fit with the city's terms and conditions, Attard said. 

Rise in bird flu cases is city's top concern

But her top concern remains a recent rise in avian flu cases. 

Shayan Sharif, a professor of poultry immunology at the University of Guelph's veterinary school, confirmed to CBC Toronto the risk to poultry remains high, adding that backyard chickens could spread the virus to other animals, including other pets.

"Over the last couple of months or so, we've come to the realization that the virus has started jumping to mammals," he said. "Foxes, skunks, raccoons and so forth are catching the virus. And more recently we've seen the virus also spread into domestic pets like dogs and cats."

Sharif also noted that the risk of humans catching avian flu is low but not unheard of. 

He says if the city scraps the program for now, it'll be "the right decision."

Attard agreed, adding that chickens kept in backyards can also be exposed to other wildlife that can spread the virus.

"It's a risk for these hens. If they get it they'll die," she said.

She also noted that the city doesn't have many veterinarians who have the proper accreditation to care for chickens – an issue that Doucette said is a chicken and egg situation. 

"If you legalize chickens, more vets will get the credentials they need to look after hens," she said.

Those with chickens can keep them

Doucette said she understands the concerns about avian flu but doesn't understand why the program needs to be paused indefinitely.

"I would like to see the report changed," she said. "Maybe it should say 'paused until avian flu has passed.'"

Doucette said she's also concerned that people will still keep chickens but will no longer receive information from the city about how to properly keep them and that the city will not have a method of keeping tabs on where the chickens are kept.

For now, she's just happy she gets to keep Ruby and Stella. 

If the program is paused, the city will allow those who have been keeping hens legally to continue to do so until they die naturally. 

Whether or not the program could be brought back at some point is a matter for city council to discuss in the future, Attard said.