The City of Belleville is going to check out allowing backyard chickens.
Resident Cindy Leonard appeared before council Monday afternoon asking that it approve a by-law allowing residents to keep a small
number of chickens on their property.
“Fresh eggs are so much better than those generally available in grocery stores.”
Leonard said many municipalities were allowing backyard chickens subject to strict conditions. Those conditions include allowing only a small number of hens and no roosters. Setbacks, property size, and proper coops are other details are commonly included in regulations.
Currently, in this area, the City of Quinte West allows backyard chickens under certain conditions.
Councillor Sean Kelly said that not everyone would be jumping at the chance to keep the birds saying in the first year it costs up to $6,000 to get a coop underway.
Kelly got laughs from the gallery when he mentioned concerns with the recent hot weather saying there were “reports that some of these chickens were laying hard-boiled eggs.”
City staff will bring back a report to council on options regarding backyard chickens.
