Newmarket gets cracking on backyard hen plan
Yorkregion.com
Feb. 5, 2016
By Chris Simon
Newmarket hopes its plan to allow an egg-laying hens pilot project won’t ruffle feathers in Ward 2.
Council is expected to endorse plans for a one-year pilot project, which will allow up to five Ward 2 residential properties to keep the hens on-site. If approved as planned, the project will begin March 1.
“A number of municipalities in Ontario have recently considered allowing a small number of egg-laying hens in residential areas,” town clerk Andrew Brouwer said, noting Brampton, Guelph, Kingston and Niagara Falls allow the hens in residential areas. “It is unknown how many calls (and) complaints will result following the installation of the coop and run. Given that all abutting neighbours are required to give their permission to allow backyard hens, the potential for enforcement complaints/concerns may be less.”
Hamilton, St. Catharines, Toronto and Waterloo recently decided against permitting the hens.
Under the project, hens will be kept in backyards. A maximum of three per property will be permitted and all hens must be at least four months old. Tenants must obtain permission from property owners before participating in the pilot and hens must be kept in their coops from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. each night.
Enclosures must be a minimum of 10 square feet per hen, and the hens must be kept in an enclosed run when not in their coops. Roosters will be banned.
Hen coops and runs should be at least 1.2 metres from the rear and side lot lines and participants must get permission from abutting property owners.
Slaughter will also be prohibited, so any hens that die during this pilot must be sent to a livestock facility or veterinarian for proper disposal.
“This is in Ward 2; I’m all for it,” Ward 1 Councillor Tom Vegh said, jokingly.
Newmarket’s animal control, bylaw has been amended for the duration of the project, since it currently prohibits the keeping of several types of birds, including chickens, turkeys, pheasants and grouse.
