Allowing egg-laying fowl in residential areas?

Background

  • Regional Council is considering whether to allow households to keep and raise egg-laying fowl in residential areas for personal use only.
  • The original Council motion and staff report focused on chickens, but at the July 30, 2019 session, Regional Council decided to expand the scope to include other birds kept for the purpose of egg laying (ducks, geese, guinea fowl, quail and or turkeys).



  • This is not about farming. It is about allowing people living on residentially zoned lands, whether in the city, suburbs or rural areas, to keep a small number of domesticated birds to provide eggs for the household’s own use.
  • Raising birds for meat, selling birds or eggs would not be permitted.
  • Municipal Community Food Security initiatives and the direction of the Halifax Green Network plan support policy work on allowing egg-laying fowl in residential areas.
  • Any policy changes regarding allowing egg-laying fowl in residential areas must be closely coordinated with the recently approved Centre Plan and the By-law simplification program.

What kinds of fowl are being considered?

  • This proposal is limited to domesticated, egg-laying fowl.
  • Examples include chickens, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, quail and/or turkeys.
  • The types of bird, and the number of birds that would be permitted, may differ between rural, suburban and urban areas.
  • Males, such as roosters, would be considered only where noise is unlikely to be an issue.

What information are we seeking?

  • Regional Council is directing public engagement in the form of a web page and online questionnaire. They are also recommending stakeholders meetings with interested groups and organizations like the Halifax Food Policy Alliance, the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture, Chicken Farmers of Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture.
  • An online survey, designed for residents, is available here on Shape Your City. Please share your thoughts about keeping egg-laying fowl yourself, or how you would feel having egg-laying fowl in your neighbourhood. You can also comment on what types of fowl you might consider keeping.

    Please share your thoughts by taking our survey.

Background

  • Regional Council is considering whether to allow households to keep and raise egg-laying fowl in residential areas for personal use only.
  • The original Council motion and staff report focused on chickens, but at the July 30, 2019 session, Regional Council decided to expand the scope to include other birds kept for the purpose of egg laying (ducks, geese, guinea fowl, quail and or turkeys).



  • This is not about farming. It is about allowing people living on residentially zoned lands, whether in the city, suburbs or rural areas, to keep a small number of domesticated birds to provide eggs for the household’s own use.
  • Raising birds for meat, selling birds or eggs would not be permitted.
  • Municipal Community Food Security initiatives and the direction of the Halifax Green Network plan support policy work on allowing egg-laying fowl in residential areas.
  • Any policy changes regarding allowing egg-laying fowl in residential areas must be closely coordinated with the recently approved Centre Plan and the By-law simplification program.

What kinds of fowl are being considered?

  • This proposal is limited to domesticated, egg-laying fowl.
  • Examples include chickens, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, quail and/or turkeys.
  • The types of bird, and the number of birds that would be permitted, may differ between rural, suburban and urban areas.
  • Males, such as roosters, would be considered only where noise is unlikely to be an issue.

What information are we seeking?

  • Regional Council is directing public engagement in the form of a web page and online questionnaire. They are also recommending stakeholders meetings with interested groups and organizations like the Halifax Food Policy Alliance, the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture, Chicken Farmers of Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture.
  • An online survey, designed for residents, is available here on Shape Your City. Please share your thoughts about keeping egg-laying fowl yourself, or how you would feel having egg-laying fowl in your neighbourhood. You can also comment on what types of fowl you might consider keeping.

    Please share your thoughts by taking our survey.

  • Egg-laying Fowl Survey

    Hello,

    Thanks for your interest in egg-laying fowl.

    Regional Council has requested a staff report that considers region-wide amendments regarding the keeping and raising of egg-laying fowl in all residential zones. Egg-laying fowl refers to chickens, ducks, geese and other similar types of domesticated fowl. Currently many land use (zoning) By-laws prohibit the keeping of fowl in residential zones. In some situations, the zoning is unclear as to whether backyard fowl are allowed. 

    To help us understand resident interest, concerns, challenges and opportunities regarding the keeping of fowl, we would appreciate a few minutes of your time to answer

    Hello,

    Thanks for your interest in egg-laying fowl.

    Regional Council has requested a staff report that considers region-wide amendments regarding the keeping and raising of egg-laying fowl in all residential zones. Egg-laying fowl refers to chickens, ducks, geese and other similar types of domesticated fowl. Currently many land use (zoning) By-laws prohibit the keeping of fowl in residential zones. In some situations, the zoning is unclear as to whether backyard fowl are allowed. 

    To help us understand resident interest, concerns, challenges and opportunities regarding the keeping of fowl, we would appreciate a few minutes of your time to answer some questions. 

    Take Survey