Finally our chickens are coming home to roost

[Catherine]

There has been fierce debate for years about back yard chickens in Toronto. There already are back yard chickens. I know there are some in my neighbourhood, but I am not sure which house.
Finally the city council has voted to allow chickens in people's back yards.

It is just a test run and only 4 wards will be legally able to have chickens. It is a start.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/cluck-yeah-...-1.3617281

https://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2...yards.html

I just have to look at who voted for it and who voted against to know that it is a good idea. A few people will have a few hens in small backyard chicken houses. Then they will eat fresh eggs while their birds eat local bugs  and live quiet lives. I wouldn't mind the sound of a few hens clucking contentedly on a warm afternoon.

I know there were other issues that city council could have addressed, but people want to keep chickens. They wanted the city to make it possible.
Right now it is not in my area, but soon enough I will be hearing the clucking of hens....legal hens that is.

[Tobi]

Good news. I don't see why people shouldn't keep chickens in Toronto. So long as there are animal welfare laws that the owners of the birds have to adhere to, and these are enforced by inspections?

Most people would no doubt keep them healthy and well, and be happy to have happy chickens and free range eggs, but of course there are always going to be some who might even keep them caged....

[Catherine]

I don't think anyone who wants backyard chickens wants to keep them in small cages. They would probably need little chicken coops with some kind of outdoor run that is protected. We do have hawks so the hens would need some protection.
I am sure people can set up something nice for their birds. They can use the waste from the chickens as natural fertilizer or it could go out in our green bins and be composted by the city. 

If it works out in the pilot areas then my area should be next to be approved. I wouldn't be able to keep chickens, but some of my neighbours would. I think it would be pleasant to hear a few hens clucking. People really want this and the city councilor who supported it is a good guy who pushes to make this a more liveable city.

I think the city should have a few goats to keep the weeds down, but that is another issue. Maybe some day we will.

I think we can have bee hives too. The yard has to be big enough, but there are hives in the city. Some of the big buildings have them on the roof tops.  

I am hoping that this is a trend for big cities. It is not good for a big city to be a barren concrete jungle. The direction now is to be more natural and chickens are part of that naturalizing.

[Tobi]

I think it would be rather nice to have happy hens all over the city. And for more people to have genuine fresh healthy eggs.

But....have you ever lived with a Cockerel? I lived with one in Snowdonia for a few months. He drove me nuts. I had to buy wax earplugs if I didn't want to get up at 4.30 every morning!

[Catherine]

Quote:But....have you ever lived with a Cockerel? I lived with one in Snowdonia for a few months. He drove me nuts. I had to buy wax earplugs if I didn't want to get up at 4.30 every morning!

I notice that they stipulated that there would be no roosters. It could get to be a bit much if we had roosters crowing all over.
Our houses are very close together so we have to consider out neighbours when we do things. The roosters couldn't be worse than the person who uses a gas leaf blower or lawn mower early every morning.

I hope someone I  know gets hens. I would love to enjoy some fresh eggs. We are starting to grow vegetables and now fresh eggs. Life in the city is getting much more liveable.