This article was previously published on EloraFergusToday.
GUELPH/ERAMOSA – They may be passing on pigeons for the time being but Guelph/Eramosa is getting closer to allowing backyard chickens and “chicken-like birds” on rural residential properties.
Guelph/Eramosa council directed staff to proceed with creating a housekeeping amendment and scheduling a public meeting that would permit chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys on rural residential properties that are a minimum of one acre and smaller agriculture properties between one or two acres.
As of now, livestock like this are only permitted on agriculturally zoned properties two acres or larger.
This idea of allowing backyard hens has been kicking around at Guelph/Eramosa for more than a year now and previously considered permitting pigeons on these properties as well.
Council appeared ready to move forward without including pigeons as they could be added at a later debate. Coun. Bruce Dickieson questioned the point of waiting.
“We’ve been at this for quite awhile and I don’t see what the problem is of keeping pigeons if they’re only indoors … just to do it now and be done with it rather than hash it over months from now. We’re doing our bylaw anyway,” Dickieson said.
Mayor Chris White said allowing backyard chickens is already a big change for the township and will create enough work on its own.
“Let’s see how this plays out, I get your point but you can’t do everything all at once,” White said. “He’s (bylaw officer) going to have his hands full with all of this right?”
The bylaw was not passed at this meeting but council approved staff to proceed with crafting the bylaw and scheduling a public meeting.