Cluck, yeah! Georgina rolling ahead with backyard hen project

Fresh eggs here! Georgina back on track with two-year chicken pilot project

Yorkregion.com
May 4, 2020
Amanda Persico

After a short delay, Georgina is moving ahead with its backyard hen project.

Initially, the program was supposed to start April 1 with a mandatory training session held at the end of the March. But then the town -- and the rest of the province -- was shut down all but for essential services in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Instead of scrapping the entire program, the town is going ahead with the pilot offering the mandatory education training online.

The program will run for two years and the town has allowed three hen licences per ward to a maximum of 15 across the town.

And residents are egg-cited.

Some 36 residents have signed up for pilot program -- more than double the number of licences available.

“Chickens are no more work than a regular house pet,” said Keswick resident Portia Chambers, who applied for the pilot program.

In the fall, the town conducted a survey to garner interest in the hen project and more than 480 residents responded.

According to a staff report, about 67 per cent of respondents favoured the idea of backyard hens.

And the No. 1 reason residents were in favour of the program was to collect fresh eggs.

“We’ve been wanting chickens for a long time. It’s about time, Georgina,” said Chambers who grew up on a farm in Sutton.

“For some in an urban setting, backyard chickens might be the only access to farm life.”

Like other residents who applied for the program, one of the main attractions of the backyard hen project was to collect fresh eggs.

“But it’s not just chickens and eggs,” she said. “Chickens are kind creatures. Taking care of chickens teaches responsibility and empathy.”

There’s very little guess work to owning a chicken coop, since backyard hen programs have become very mainstream, she added.

A quick online search showed a basic run of the mill chicken coop can be purchased for about $200.

Residents who obtain a licence, which costs $100 for the two years, are allowed a maximum of four hens and must live in a single detached home.

So neighbourhoods are not inundated with clucking, the town has also imposed a 100-metre distance from one backyard coop to another.

Residents are not permitted to house roosters.

Other restraints include a prelicense inspection to ensure there is enough space for a chicken coop and hen run; the coop must be weather tight and in the backyard; chicken coops are to be constructed according to the town’s bylaws; and residents should expect random inspections.

The town’s pilot project also prohibits the sale of fresh eggs.

The webinar is scheduled for April 29 and the town will be accepting applications shortly after.

Considering chickens? Here’s what you need to know:

• Ensure there is enough space for a full-sized chicken coop, including room for feeder and water containers; a rooting area and nest box; and space to shovel manure and gather eggs;

• Hens lay eggs spring through fall as long as they get 12 to 14 hours of daylight;

• Expect to collect eggs daily, or even twice a day;

• If you go on vacation, you’ll need a reliable chicken-sitter;

• Chickens are most productive during the first two years of their lives;

• Hens are social animals, so plan to have at least two, but overcrowding contributes to disease and feather picking.