Rural residents living in the County of Brant have officially been given the green light to keep backyard hens.
Historically, the raising and keeping of livestock (including chickens) has been limited to lands zoned as agriculture or agricultural areas, so long as specific guidelines and by-laws are followed.
Although the idea of allowing those living in residential areas within the County has long been up for debate, the subject has been gaining traction in Council chambers since 2023.
While keeping chickens provides access to fresh eggs and can help foster a connection to local food sources, County staff previously advised Council of various public health concerns attributed to keeping chickens.
From the risk of infectious diseases like avian influenza or salmonella, to the threat of municipal and private drinking water sources, there were plenty of factors that needed to be taken into consideration.
Following the public engagement process, the Policy and Development Committee eventually ratified the decision to allow chickens in non-urban residential areas and zones on September 3, 2024, and directed staff to draft specific regulations for the Backyard Hen Program over the winter season.
Fast forward to February 4, 2025, staff presented the committee with a draft ‘Backyard Hen’ by-law, proposed changes to animal control and zoning regulations, as well as a draft licensing application form, and a suggested program fee.
During the meeting, Jessica Kitchen, planner for the County’s policy planning division, shared a map with councillors detailing what the by-law meant by chickens being allowed in non-urban residential zones.
“So, non-urban residential zones include areas outside of Paris and St. George that are not zoned agricultural,” she said. “So these include the suburban residential (SR) zones, residential hamlets and villages (RH) as well as the rural residential (RR).”
She also explained that staff had collaborated with various internal departments as well as external agencies like the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness; the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks; Cambium Inc. as well as the Grand Erie Public Health Unit to draft the by-law.
“This by-law aims to address biosecurity, animal welfare and the protection of drinking water, among other concerns,” said Kitchen.
As far as the details of the by-law, those interested in participating in the Backyard Hen Program must first take the following three steps:
“1. Apply for a license.
The application must include:
- Site Plan which depicts: lot dimensions and proposed location of hen coop, dimensions of the hen coop and outdoor run, setback from lot line and any other structure or building on the lot, setbacks from any dwelling located on any lot sharing a lot line with the lot subject to the application, and setback from any waterway and private well.
2. Approval and payment.
Upon approval of the application, the applicant will be required to:
- Submit proof of registration with the Chicken Farmers of Ontario (CFO)
- Pay a one-time non-refundable $150.00 application fee
3. Inspection of backyard hen coop.
- Following approval and payment, the applicant will be approved to construct the coop in accordance with the submitted and approved site plan.
- Once constructed, the applicant may schedule an inspection with By-law Enforcement for final approval and Issuance of the Backyard Hen License.
- If applicable, an Electrical Safety Authority Certificate of Inspection for internal heating and lighting of the coop will be required.”
Once the inspection has been passed, By-law Enforcement will issue the Backyard Hen License to the applicant.
Keeping all of that in mind, the following key regulations should be taken into consideration:
- Residents are allowed a maximum of four hens per property and roosters are not permitted.
- Hens must be at least four months old.
- Free-roaming is not allowed and hens must be kept in a coop/run.
- The hen house must be dry, draft-proof, insulated and secure.
- Hens must be secured in the hen house between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
- Selling eggs or by-products is not allowed.
- All hen owners must follow biosecurity practices recommended by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
- Tenants may apply for the license with written permission from the property owner.
- The home slaughter of hens is not permitted, and deceased hens must be properly disposed of through a veterinarian or approved livestock facility.
During the February 4 meeting, Councillor Lukas Oakley inquired with staff why they decided to go with a one-time licensing fee.
“We wanted to have more of a barrier free program, where it was a one-time licensing, as opposed to having annual licensing,” said Greg Bergeron, Director of Enforcement and Regulatory Services. “I think when you put a cost to something, we kind of run the risk of not having people coming forward to get licensed, so that was a thought.”
Councillor David Miller mentioned that given that the program will be monitored over the next three years, he wondered who would be responsible for monitoring biohazards.
“All I hear about is millions of chickens being slaughtered right now, and that there’s an egg shortage in many parts of the States because of the bird flu. I know when you go to a commercial poultry operation, they have certain things they do to prevent any risk of disease … but my question is, is anybody from staff or the County going to be monitoring for disease to see if there is an increase?”
Bergeron said they will be working collaboratively with the health unit to see if there are any outbreaks of the avian flu that are reported.
“As far as biosecurity, that’s a tough one to enforce. The onus really falls upon the licensee to report any issues because we can’t be around to police these chickens 24/7,” he said. “The onus should be on the licensee and so that’s the kind of the approach we’re going to take. …I just want to reiterate, for people that are going to apply, if they’re going to go through the hoops to get a license, we certainly think that they’re going to be responsible owners.”
Following a few other questions, the committee then voted to approve the draft by-law and it was ratified on February 25, 2025.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
