Can you have chickens? Story by Shauna Dobbie
Most hens will lay eggs in nesting boxes.
L
ast year, thousands of Canadians turned their attention inward, considering their own ability to sustain themselves through gardening. Keeping chickens cannot be far behind. There was a bit of a movement to get cities across Canada to allow chickens in back yards about 10 years ago. A couple ended up doing so. Today you can keep chickens (with various rules) in Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton, and parts of Montreal and Toronto. You can have them in Kingston and Kitchener, Ontario; Cornerbrook, Newfoundland; Whitehorse, Yukon; and Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Arguments against backyard chickens are many. One is noise, though that is easily dispatched by allowing only hens and not roosters. Hens are, simply put, not noisy. I’m not aware of an urban municipality that allows roosters. Another argument is the smell of chickens and the vermin that are 16 • 2021
attracted to it. The smell, it is true, can only be dealt with by keeping a chicken coop clean. The critters are attracted to chicken feed, so it can’t be left out overnight; you can either feed them only as much as they want or need, or you can use a metal feeder designed for chickens. (The hopper opens when a chicken stands next to it and closes when the chicken leaves. Apparently, rats can’t get into it.) An additional apprehension comes from folks concerned about animal welfare. There are worries that city slickers will get a few hens then tire of looking after them. And it will happen; just as there are lousy dog and cat owners, there will be lousy chicken owners. There are lousy parents, for goodness sake! You can’t punish everybody for the mistakes of a few scofflaws. If you’re in a place—urban, suburban or rural—that allows keeping chickens, here’s a few things to inspire you to take the plunge. Issue 2
Get the girls Do you need a rooster? Probably not. Hens will lay eggs whether there’s a rooster involved or not. If you’d like to increase your flock without buying them, you’ll need a rooster, but be forewarned: they are aggressive. It’s that aggressive tendency that makes them of some value, though. They do protect the henhouse from invaders. If you are in a city, you won’t be able to keep any roosters because they crow. If you’re in the country, prepare for some cock-a-doodling early in the morning. These are social animals, so get at least three hens. Get a hen house You’ll need a house for your chickens. The coop needs a few things: ventilation, areas for nesting and areas for perching, and access to the outdoors. Ventilation is very important and you may need more than you think. localgardener.net
