Allow Laying Hens in the City of Edmonton

Looking forward to the pilot project announcement.

Fully agree with all of this!

It's important for people to know where their food is coming from and relieving for many to know that their food was produced from an animal that was well cared for.

Nothing better than raising you own food and knowing it how it was raised, treated, cared for and even killed.

I should have the right to have chickens as pets in my backyard

As the world's economic and environmental climate changes it's becoming more and more important for people to have the ability to access quality food for themselves and their families. I believe it's our responsibility to ensure that people who live in our neighborhoods have access to a healthy, regulated and robust urban agriculture system. Agriculture is a part of our survival as well as our heritage, even as cities continue to grow.

My husband and I are currently looking at purchasing property in Edmonton. I would love to have a vegetable patch and a coop out back. I didnt realize this isnt allowed in Edmonton... :( I would love to be able to sustainably and humanely produce eggs for my family

2 hens in my backyard please.

I constantly hear about supporting local farmers and buying from local food markets, pushing for greener and eco-friendly alternatives to everything, from energy consumption to lawn mowing, and yet it shocks me to realize than in this day and age major cities and municipalities like Edmonton put a ban on something so simple as owning a chicken. Here are a few no-brainer benefits I can think of: 1) Local farmers benefit by being able to sell their chicks and chicken to those who want to raise them on their own. 2) The pet owner benefits by being able to eat food that they themselves have fed and grown. 3) The cities and municipalities benefit financially with the licensing fees and if the irresponsible pet owners are fined, and finally, 4) The chicken benefit by having good licensing laws in place to protect them and the public. It's crystal clear to me...why has it taken so many years to debate this issue is beyond me. Just like any pet or livestock that you own, you know you are responsible for their care and well-being. That's what responsible pet ownership, licensing, laws, and bylaws are for, and if someone breaks them, they should be fined. My neighbours' pets are more annoying to me than a pet chicken would be. A cat jumps over my fence and poops all over my lawn and garden. Another dog barks constantly like mad and it goes on and on and on. A rooster at least crows every now and then. Please allow people to raise backyard chickens. I would like to have the option to eat chicken knowing what I have fed them, and benefit from the healthy eggs they lay as well.

So cool! My grandmother raised hens and hopefully I can have a couple myself. :)

Go for it

An important step toward sustainability for our City.

These kinds of initiatives make our city more interesting. Let's get this moving and allow backyard chicken in Edmonton!

Bylaw complains that hens attract coyotes - what about all the rabbits that people release? Hens are quieter then dogs by far, each have their own quirky personalities and if people can have doves w/in city limits, there shouldn't be issues on cleanly cared for hens either.

Edmonton should step up and catch up to many other of this nations greatest cities

This is long overdue. The UofA's Heritage Chicken Program (http://www.heritagechickens.ca -- of which I am a participant) is now selling their heritage-breed chicks (bred for cold climates and biodiversity/genetic integrity of all chickens in Canada), and yet we cannot buy them or keep them in Edmonton (one has to go via vehicle to the UofA South Campus Farm). Calgary has allowed hens through their program for a number of years now. The City is intent on reducing pesticide use in backyards and around town. This is one excellent way to do that. I would think that Mayor Don Iveson and council would be progressive enough to welcome a pilot project at the very least... Look at Vancouver and other cities where this has been going on for years. There is no excuse for delays in a decision.

I would love to have farm fresh eggs in my backyard, teach my children about where food comes from and make sure that any chicken poop is cleaned up and therefore not a nuisance to my neighbors. Come on Edmonton, you are a leader in waste management, and chickens eat kitchen scraps! Less organic waste to landfill. (Though I compost, but still!)

I fully support this and hope our city wakes up.

Disappointed that Edmonton is behind other cities (including calgary for Pete's sake!) in allowing backyard chickens. Please lift the ban ASAP!

Hells yes!!!