The public will have a say on a proposed new zoning amendment which will allow homeowners to have their own backyard chickens.
Delta council has given preliminary approval for the new regulations, scheduled for resident input at a public hearing on Tuesday, April 27.
The bylaw amendment removes the current requirement of properties having chickens being located next to an agriculturally-zoned property, while no minimum lot size is proposed.
The city’s agricultural advisory committee examined the proposal, recommending that roosters be prohibited and the number of hens permitted on a property be restricted to four.
Hens will also be required to be licensed with the city and registered with the province through the Premises ID Program to assist with tracking of birds during any future disease outbreaks.
Requiring registration through the Premises ID program would align with recently announced provincial regulations starting in 2022, which will require all livestock and poultry to be registered, a report to council notes.
A minimum number of two chickens is recommended as hens are social animals, and a solitary hen would have a poorer quality of life than hens in a small group, the report adds.
The bylaw would also require food and manure to be removed so as to reduce smell and pest impacts.
Coops and runs would be limited to a maximum of 108 square feet of combined indoor and outdoor space.
To reduce the spread of disease and pests, food is to be kept enclosed, and excess removed in a timely manner.
A licence fee of $50 is proposed regardless of the number of hens.
Bylaw penalties would range from $100 for minor offences, such as a failure to display license tags, to $250 for slaughtering or euthanizing a hen on a residential lot.
Council agreed it wanted more information about the complaint and enforcement process at the upcoming public hearing.
Should the amendment be adopted, staff recommend the backyard chicken program be reviewed after one year.
