Backyard Chickens

[Pookybear]

I can't speak for Pookybear, but my concern lies with the chickens themselves. I have little faith that many people will not get backyard chickens to teach little Johnny and Janie about where eggs come from, then tire of the experiment and the chickens when little Johnny and Janie no longer care. I won't even get into coyotes being drawn to backyard chicken coops and what that might mean.

I see so many people who can't care for their pets properly or give them away at the first sign that the puppy or kitty is actually work and a responsiblilty. I already volunteer at a bunny sancutary, made necessary by irresponsible people who changed their minds about owning a bunny. I don't think I have the time, energy or money to support a chicken sanctuary for abandoned or mistreated chickens.

If someone wants free range eggs, I would happy to suppy the name of someone who has a rural farm and has had free range laying hens for years.

BTW Scott Ross, I am still on the fence about you as well but am leaning towards a yes vote as I do plan to vote for some newbies. I also like your signs - neat, to the point, an unobtrusive.

I might add, I totally understand the POV that government should stay out of my yard. That is how I feel about pesticides - if I want to use then on my yard, butt out. How do you feel about that, Mr Ross?

You pretty much nailed it for why I am against backyard chickens as well.

[The Green Barbarian]

^^^^^ :rate10:

Nobody has the right to tell us how to procure our own food. That is government crossing the line.

so if you decide you want to live on a diet of condor eggs and spotted owl meat, the government should just let you do it?

[Pookybear]

Flippin' criminy ... listen to you all ... so full of yourselves and trying to tell people how they can use their own backyards - or even their front yards for that matter. Who made you the boss and master of someone else's land?

You may think its a stupid idea but nobody is saying you have to have chickens if you don't want them. Still you feel justified in telling other people they can't have them.

How many people do you reasonably think would actually get chickens? Say, how many on your street or even in a 4-block radius of your street? There are people already in Kelowna in residential subdivisions who have chickens - and their neighbours don't have a clue they are there. One of them could be your neighbour. I personally doubt the number - in all of Kelowna - who would actually get chickens would be more than 100. There's far more dogs and cats than that. If the city banned dogs and cats it would be the same thing - somebody controlling what you can do with and on your own land.

This isn't a matter of where YOU get your eggs from or where YOU think people should get them. Its a matter of some people would prefer to know where their eggs come from, what they eat, what hormones and antibiotics are in them and how they are treated. Some want to teach their children the joys of producing their own food and being responsible citizens - and yes, probably most people who get chickens would be the kind who also successfully grow their own veggies. Some others appreciate the chicken's ability to consume detrimental insects in their gardens - and to aerate the soil and even provide great nitrogen fertilizer for their veggie and flower beds.

And they won't bark all night and keep you awake, either.

So everyone is full of themselves if they don't agree with you? That is a tad bit arrogant. Thankfully there are bylaws and such so people can not just do whatever they feel with their property in the city. What a disaster neighbourhoods would be if everyone with no manners trashed their yards, had people sleeping in tents on their lawns to supplement their incomes, started sandblasting businesses on their property, etc. You can do what you want on your property, but when your interests start bugging your neighbours don't be surprised when Bylaw comes around. Most people can't get their dogs to stop barking and are to dense to keep their cats on their own property so I am sorry, however most those same twits ain't going to take care of their chicken well either.

[Pookybear]

Pookybear and Carmencat, I respect both of your opinions, but a city government that bases regulations on specific instances and not general principles is costly, slow, and does not follow the rule of law. Instead of focusing on small issues and reviewing each and every one a city must lay a foundation of principles upon which it is to function. For me I believe if citizens meet building and health standards, keep their property maintained, and do not disturb their neighbours they should be allowed to have backyard chickens; if you disagree I would be interested to know why. Thank you.

Completely disagree and you will not be getting my vote.

[The Green Barbarian]

* * * * *

And to answer the other question of why do people want to raise chickens? Here's why ...

People are realizing chickens are a multipurpose pet. They eat bugs and weeds, they're really fun to watch. And how many pets make you breakfast?

They don't bark all night (dogs).

They don't destroy your flower beds (cats).

They provide food for your family (eggs and meat).

They are natural pesticides (they eat many different kinds of bugs).

They provide chemical-free lawn and garden fertilizer (high in nitrogen).

They are natural herbicides (they eat weeds).

They aerate your lawn (they scratch in the earth)

They eat table scraps.

They live outside year-round (no mess in the house, no dog hair, no litter boxes, no scratched furniture, no pet smells, no urine on the rugs, upholstery and drapes.)

They can be kept in movable pens (called chicken "tractors" http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/tractors.html) and can be contained right where you want them to be.

They are easy to keep (low maintenance).

They put themselves to bed at night and they are quiet all night long.

They don't get into the neighbours' garbage on garbage day.

Chickens don't need to go to obedience classes.

They will not bite the mailman.

They do not need to be neutered.

They do not need to be taken to the groomers.

They do not need to go to a boarding kennel when you go on a trip.

They are cheap to buy and to maintain (baby chicks start at around $2 to buy, depending on breed, exotic breeds cost more).

They provide hours of entertainment (kids especially love chickens). Many communities class chickens as "pets" rather than "farm animals".

They don't bite (they may peck but if hand raised, they are very docile and friendly).

You know where your food comes from and what has gone into it (no chemicals, hormones, preservatives)

Three or four chickens requires only 3 sq ft per bird. Many large cities are now allowing up to 6 chickens on a city-sized lot. Most do not allow roosters, but some do.

Three or four hens will provide enough eggs for a family of 4. Three chickens lay about 50 eggs per month.

You don't need a rooster to get eggs.

Fresh eggs have a richer flavor and firmer whites that are better for baking.

Free-range eggs have 33 percent less cholesterol, 25 percent less saturated fat and noticeably more vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids than the typical mass-produced cage-raised egg layers. http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Foo ... -Eggs.aspx

Chickens can be raised on apartment and condo balconies. You can collect the chicken droppings, compost them in a small container, and then put them in your planters on your patio where you are growing some veggies or flowers.

Their homes can be made from repurposed materials (used lumber, pallets, plastic containers, etc)

This list is a total joke. Chickens cannot be raised on apartments or balconies - how would you feel walking down the street and a chicken poops on your head from a balcony above? Unless you want to keep it in a crate, but then you'd have the PETA people all over you. As for meat - how many people are going to take a chicken that they've treated like a pet, and then one day chop its head off, and boil it and pluck it etc. Not too many people. Killing a chicken and processing it yourself is a "skill" that few people have anymore, nor do they want it. So then you have the issue - a chicken stops laying after 2-3 years but keeps living after that. Do you keep feeding this chicken? Or do you leave it for the coyotes? I already know what other people who have had chickens that I know have done. Wile E. gets the meal every time. Is that right? I say no.

[grammafreddy]

So everyone is full of themselves if they don't agree with you? That is a tad bit arrogant. Thankfully there are bylaws and such so people can not just do whatever they feel with their property in the city. What a disaster neighbourhoods would be if everyone with no manners trashed their yards, had people sleeping in tents on their lawns to supplement their incomes, started sandblasting businesses on their property, etc. You can do what you want on your property, but when your interests start bugging your neighbours don't be surprised when Bylaw comes around. Most people can't get their dogs to stop barking and are to dense to keep their cats on their own property so I am sorry, however most those same twits ain't going to take care of their chicken well either.

I am quite sure chickens will not be as numerous as cats and dogs and yet the city allows them. They don't bark all night and they don't poop in the neighbours' flower beds, either. And I am no more arrogant than anyone else - but I do think people should be allowed to raise chickens for eggs if they choose. The rest of your post is not worth commenting on. If chickens bugged the neighbours, then bylaw could be called just as they do now for cats and dogs. This isn't rocket science, you know. It's just chickens. We're also talking hens - not roosters - so there won't be any multiplying like the rabbits did.

[JLives]

^^^^^ :rate10:

Nobody has the right to tell us how to procure our own food. That is government crossing the line.

so if you decide you want to live on a diet of condor eggs and spotted owl meat, the government should just let you do it?

I'm talking about food you provide for yourself, not poaching. Stay on topic.

[ScottRoss]

Pookybear I think civic engagement is important and currently undervalued. I am disappointed that I will not get your vote because of something I consider a minor issue unto itself and in relation to other problems facing this city. I have a platform with detailed policies on affordable housing, online voting, and economic development. I do hope you reconsider.

[grammafreddy]

This list is a total joke. Chickens cannot be raised on apartments or balconies - how would you feel walking down the street and a chicken poops on your head from a balcony above? Unless you want to keep it in a crate, but then you'd have the PETA people all over you. As for meat - how many people are going to take a chicken that they've treated like a pet, and then one day chop its head off, and boil it and pluck it etc. Not too many people. Killing a chicken and processing it yourself is a "skill" that few people have anymore, nor do they want it. So then you have the issue - a chicken stops laying after 2-3 years but keeps living after that. Do you keep feeding this chicken? Or do you leave it for the coyotes? I already know what other people who have had chickens that I know have done. Wile E. gets the meal every time. Is that right? I say no.

Actually that list was not a "total joke". Everything on it is true. Yes, chickens can be raised on apartment balconies and yes, they would require a cage to keep them and others safe. A chicken lays for longer than 2-3 years and what do you with your dog when it gets old? Or your cat? These are people's pets. They are treated just as any pet would be.

I realize that there are irresponsible and really dumb people who would perhaps take their no longer wanted chickens out into the bush and drop them off for coyote food, but they also exist among the cat and dog owners, too. Sometimes you can't fix stupid but why should responsible people have to do without chickens when they don't make others do without cats and dogs?

There is also a business in town where people could take their chickens for dispatch as well as other farms that would take them to either add them to their flocks or dispose of them.

I do appreciate that some people are quite content to have the world believe that meat grows on little Styrofoam trays under plastic wrap and eggs are grown in cartons with 12 sections, but some people actually know different. Amazing, eh? There's also a group of people who are doing their best to provide better chemical-free food for their families and try to stay away from packaged things at the grocery store. And you know what??? Some people actually just like chickens!

[The Green Barbarian]

Actually that list was not a "total joke". Everything on it is true.

well - not really "true" - what I see is a list of opinions from people that for extremely lame reasons think it's a good idea for urbanites with no clue how to handle livestock to raise chickens in their back yards. I could go on with this topic but you seem pretty convinced that it is a good idea to have chickens running around in your back yard while I think it is just plain stupid, so let's just stop the merry go round right now and agree to disagree. I like chickens too - after six weeks of growth they are pretty tasty (after a year or two - not so much - like eating an eraser) but unlike a cat or a dog, I never had one show me any affection or remember me in any way, so it was tough to really consider them "pets". It is tough to grow an attachment to something that has only the basic intelligence of a Green party supporter.

[beachwear]

Grandma Freddy,

When I become Mayor I'm going to want you heading up my backyard chicken team. You know your stuff!
PS...There's still some room left on the bandwagon.

Cal

[The Green Barbarian]

Grandma Freddy,

When I become Mayor I'm going to want you heading up my backyard chicken team. You know your stuff!

Cal

why am I not surprised that you have plans for backyard chicken team. Good luck with that Cal.

[grammafreddy]

Great Cal. How much will the job pay?

I'll start on Backyard Pigs next .... best little garden diggers ever!!!

LOL

[The Green Barbarian]

Great Cal. How much will the job pay?

I'll start on Backyard Pigs next .... best little garden diggers ever!!!

LOL

Now pigs - there's a great pet! Don't get me started on those guys! :)

[beachwear]

You're wrong Barbarian...Have you never seen the story of Liza the Chicken?

You'll like this one GF

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvVWtwDK ... r_embedded