CALGARY — A flap over whether to allow backyard chicken coops in Calgary has laid an egg at city hall.
The Protective Services Committee has ruled against the idea, meaning Calgarians who have chickens now have 30 days to get rid of them or face a fine of $200 and watch as the city seizes their animals.
At least one urban chicken rancher says he’s not giving up.
Paul Hughes says he’s running for mayor and will battle the city in court if he has to.
The committee heard Wednesday from nurse Mary MacDonald, who says chickens breed diseases such as avian flu and shouldn’t be raised in a backyard environment.
Hughes, however, says the health risks of urban chicken ranching are overblown.
“I’ve lived with chickens for a year,” he says. “I don’t have salmonella. I don’t have avian flu. My eight-year-old handles those chickens every day of his life.”
A survey of nine Canadian cities shows only three municipalities allow urban chicken farming.
Toronto, Halifax and Waterloo, Ont., have also rejected the idea.