Someone appears to have closed down the petition, but this is still ongoing! Bylaw has handed out a synopsis of what will be recommended to City Council on November 7th. Even if you've already contacted them in the past, please take the time to let Bylaw and/or your Councillor know your thoughts! As well, please mark November 7th on your calendar to join us (in a yellow shirt if possible) to show your support to this cause! I will post again once I know more! - 1.2 m setback from rear and side of lot line, 15 m from schools, 3 m from windows, doors, dwellings of abutting properties - maximum # of hens - 4 (lower than hoped for, but better than none!) - application form for chickens, that will allow the city to keep a registry of how many addresses have chickens and where they are located - small onetime fee to cover the cost of processing the application and the Officer doing the inspection of the property - inspection of the property prior to approval for chickens to ensure setbacks and proper construction of coop - feces to be cleaned daily and stored in a secure container - chickens must be contained to owners property at all times and may not run at large - tenants must obtain permission from landlords - food and water provided and stored in a secure container - all other bylaws to apply - floors must be lined with shavings to absorb fecal matter and facilitate cleaning - walls must be lime washed at least once a year - maximum height of 2 meters - a perch must be provided for each bird - hen boxes shall be provded for each bird - coop should be constructed of non-toxic material - cannot exceed 100 square feet - floor must be constructed of a material that is resistant to moisture, mold, retain heat in the cold weather and exclude rodents and predators - cleaning before introduing new birds to the area will limit the spread of disease - feeds and waterers should be regularly cleaned and disinfected - the coop and outdoor area should be cleaned weekly or as needed to control manue and odor buildup - dust baths should be available as they help contorl mites - all feeders should be removed and bedding completely cleared out - the inside of the coop needs to be disinfected - including troughs, perches and nests - manure and wet bedding should be removed from coop, animal feeders and lounging area daily - it is important that at least once a year, usually in the spring, a thorough cleaning is done on the coop and yard - a fall cleaning is also helpful with mite control over the winter