October 28th, 2016

Kareena Karamchand
Chickens in Brampton

In Brampton, the limit of chickens in a backyard is 2. In recent news, an owner of two

chickens had argued that he wanted the limit to increase because he was only in for the eggs and
producing more. The limit in Brampton is so little because it has just become new ground to the
urban chicken movement. Brampton is the only one in the GTA to allow chickens to be in the
backyard of a resident. About 1,100 residential backyards contain chickens with more than 1 acre
of land. Restrictions regarding a chicken coop can include needing each animal to be kept in an
animal quarter (coop) and not in a dwelling. The appearance of the coop must be properly
painted regularly and have permanent siding. Health measures that need to be taken are keeping
your chickens clean, comfortable, and fed properly, and watered appropriately can prevent
diseases. Chicken waste/refuse must be kept in a tight air container to prevent odours and thrown
away in a manner that won't create health hazards. The chickens need a health care check up for
vaccinations regularly but for the owners it will be hard to find a vet with experience of
livestocks because not many people have chickens in their backyard. Their feathers shall be
plucked and the feet must be polished regularly. If one faces death on its own, its suggested to
report it to the community vet and see what had happened to detect whether or not the chicken
had a disease. They need fresh water every day and food in an appropriate place where other
unwanted animals will not reach. In the winter, the owner might need to install or purchase a
water system in order for the water to not freeze. Residents are asked to wear gloves and masks
to prevent Biosecurity spreading. Biosecurity is a disease shared by a livestock to a human or
vice versa. The rulings regarding public buildings include you having to place the coop in a
specific measurement and distance from the neighbours property. In the backyard, the coop must
be 2 meters away from the property boundaries and 8 meters away from dwellings, stores, and
schools. A rodent- proof feeder and fence must be put up to prevent chickens from escaping is
required to be around the chicken coop. Each animal shall be kept in an animal quarter (coop)
and not in a dwelling. The appearance of the coop must be properly painted regularly and have
permanent siding.
Chickens in Niagara Falls
In Niagara Falls, The maximum amount of chickens had changed from being 20 in 2002
and then changed to having a maximum of 10 in 2005 and after. No person shall keep a chicken
unless they are in the urban boundary. With the limit being 10, no owner should let their chicken
run around or be anywhere else besides the owners property. The restrictions needed regarding
the chicken coop include having the coop located in the rear yard and fully closed off for the
chickens to be unable to escape. The coop should be installed properly and constructed to ensure
proper ventilation and a good amount of space for the chickens. When encountering dead
chickens you must dispose the body immediately in those 24 hours. There must be a clean
storage and properly routine of keeping the hygiene of the coop to a good setting. With any
chicken feces, it must be cleaned promptly and with specific removal. The food must be
protected from unwanted animals and the chickens must have a clean supply of water regularly.
For the health measure in Niagara Falls, it applies to the same as Brampton because the given
information is found in an Ontario site. Health measures that need to be taken are keeping your
chickens clean, comfortable, and fed properly, and watered appropriately so that can prevent
diseases. Chicken waste/refuse must be kept in a tight air container to prevent odours and thrown
away in a manner that won't create health hazards. The chickens need a health care check up for
vaccinations regularly but for the owners it will be hard to find a vet with experience of
livestocks because not many people have chickens in their backyard. Their feathers shall be

October 28th, 2016

Kareena Karamchand

plucked and the feet must be polished regularly. If one faces death on its own, its suggested to
report it to the community vet and see what had happened to detect whether or not the chicken
had a disease. They need fresh water every day and food in an appropriate place where other
unwanted animals will not reach. In the winter, the owner might need to install or purchase a
water system in order for the water to not freeze. Residents are asked to wear gloves and masks
to prevent Biosecurity spreading. Biosecurity is a disease shared by a livestock to a human or
vice versa. The rulings regarding public buildings in Niagara Falls must have the housing for
chickens include a detachable dwelling unit on them, a front area of at least 40 feet, and a depth
of 100 feet. The chicken coop shall be 25 feet from the rear lot line and at least 15 feet from the
side lot line from where the chicken coop is placed.
Pros of having chickens in your backyard
The pros of having chickens in your backyard include education, quality eggs, and you
can compost and garden extras. With having a backyard chicken you can educate you and your
family to understand the process and producing its own food. Since they turn out to become pets,
children tend to learn to joy of having a pet chicken and how to clean it or feed it. Another
benefit of having a backyard chicken is you get quality eggs because they are more nutritious and
they do not contain such chemicals that grocery stores sell. Thirdly, having a chicken in your
backyard can help with the growing of a garden. Fresh manure from a chicken coop can provide
potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen to your garden.
Cons of having chickens in your backyard
The cons of having backyard chickens include the cost, noise, and lifespan. Although you
get organic eggs from the chickens, the chicks only start to produce eggs when they are about 6
months of age which means you must provide a lot of food and water until they start to
contribute. You can end up spending about $25-30 a month depending on how many chickens
you have. The noise can get a bit annoying and too loud. With chickens they tend squawk at each
other causing big commotion and when chickens lay their eggs they sing a song. With all this
noise it can affect the behaviour of the neighbours or even the chicken. The lifespan of a chicken
can last between 2-3 years. On year 3 they tend to just sit around doing nothing and some may
actually fall in love with the chickens because they are so much more calm and loving once they
stop laying eggs anymore. Once the chickens are sent off to a farm or anywhere else you will
have to start by buying the eggs from the grocery store again causing your bill to go up in price.
I believe it is worthwhile raising chickens in your backyard because you can experience
something different as a pet. Chickens are a very different and odd compared to having either a
dog or cat as a pet. Secondly, you get to experience and taste a nutritious raised egg by yourself
and are able to bond with your family to learn new things. It does reduce your spending on
groceries because you raise your chickens at home and that is one thing already deducted from
your list so you can save about $7 each week or month from eggs. Finally, you can start to
realize that buying everything from the grocery store isnt a good thing at all because the
difference between eggs produced at home and store bought eggs have major differences.