Backyard chicken program is popular with residents

Sandor Gyarmati

sgyarmati@delta-optimist com

The City of Delta’s backyard chicken program has gone well with few complaints.

That’s according to the community planning and development department on the program that was initially approved by council as a pilot project in 2021

There are now 39 residential lots that have active licenses to keep backyard chickens and the city had received few complaints since the program was started, said director Marcy Sangret, adding they are not proposing any bylaw amendments or modifications to the program at this time.

“Delta residents interested in obtaining licenses are provided with important resources, including Delta’s Backyard Chickens brochure and bylaw regulations, along with provincially and federally produced documentation to aid in the understanding of the health and welfare needs of chickens,” Sangret told the Optimist

Residents are reminded that an application must be approved by the city and that a BC Premises ID is also required

The bylaw amendment removed a previous requirement of properties having chickens being located next to agriculturally-zoned properties.

Roosters are prohibited, while the number of hens permitted on a property is restricted to a minimum of two to a maximum of four.

Hens are required to be licensed to assist with tracking of birds during any disease outbreaks

The bylaw also requires food and manure to be removed to reduce smell and pest impacts

Coops and runs are limited to a maximum of 108-square-feet of combined indoor and outdoor space.

Chickens are also to be kept for personal use and shall not be kept for the purposes of selling meat, eggs or other products.