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GUELPH/ERAMOSA – While councillors have been open to permitting chickens on rural residential and other small agricultural properties, their feelings on other types of domesticated poultry are less black and white.
A new report to be discussed at Guelph/Eramosa's Committee of the Whole on Monday is seeking to clarify whether the municipality is set on only permitting chickens in rural residential zones and smaller agriculturally-zoned properties of at least one acre or open to allowing other "chicken-like birds" like turkeys, ducks, geese and/or pigeons.
Staff was previously directed to investigate how other municipalities regulate chicken-like birds at a May meeting after some councillors showed interest in expanding the proposed regulations to include other birds like turkeys or ducks.
In Guelph/Eramosa, hens are currently considered livestock and are only permitted on agriculturally zoned properties two acres or larger. This also pertains to other types of livestock like turkeys, ducks, geese and pigeons.
Staff have since prepared a draft bylaw to regulate "domestic poultry," which includes chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese to "demonstrate potential supporting regulations to limit negative impacts on adjacent properties and ensure the health and safety of both the birds and the community as a whole."
Some factors accounted for when discussing which chicken-like birds to include were the level of noise produced, varying abilities to fly, potentially aggressive and territorial behaviour, odour, the difference in the size of the bird and access to water.
According to the report, the Town of Erin is the only municipality within Wellington County that "appears to address and permit" the keeping of turkeys and ducks in addition to chickens.
Centre Wellington and Erin are the only municipalities that allow keeping pigeons on non-agricultural properties.
In Erin, the keeping of Columbiformes (pigeons and doves), Galliformes (pheasants, grouse, guinea fowl, turkeys, chickens and peafowl) and Anseriformes (ducks, geese, swans and screamers) are permitted within agricultural zones as long as the birds aren't in a front or side yard, a minimum 10-metre setback is maintained from an adjacent house, school or church and a minimum three-meter setback is maintained from the side or rear lot line.
Outside agricultural properties, Erin permits keeping up to 60 Columbiformes, five Galliformes, or five Anseriformes in their R1, R2, rural residential and future development zones if compliant with the agricultural and other requirements like having escape-proof enclosures in a good state of repair.
Beyond Wellington County, staff said there were limited examples of municipalities specifically permitting chicken-like birds on smaller agricultural properties and/or within residential zones.
If approved, a public meeting will be scheduled for a future date.
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
