PG Group Lobbies for Backyard Chickens
Prince George, B.C. – Advocacy group Prince George For Poultry has a date with Prince George City Council later this month.
Spokesperson Laura Lawrence says they’ll be asking council to get the current bylaw and zoning regulations updated to allow for backyard chickens in the city’s urban areas.
The online petition has over 400 signatures
“Currently in many of the city lots in Prince George it’s not zoned so you can actually have six or less poultry,” she says. “Chickens are considered an agricultural animal and you can only have chickens on lots that are 2,000 square meteres or larger.”
Lawrence says the current law works well for some homes on Cranbrook Hill but prohibits backyard chickens for homes in the city’s urban areas like the bowl and College Heights.
“It would be nice to have a couple of chickens that are kept responsibly and not have an impact on the neighbourhood. We’re just trying to look at what kind of policies that could possibly be put into place.”
She admits much of the lobbying effort is to do with her concern over food security.
“Yes, it’s a really big part of it. Remember everyone was talking about the price of cauliflower a couple of weeks ago and it’s really indicative of how important this issue is for the north,” says Lawrence.
“I moved up here from Vancouver and when I got here I wasn’t prepared for how much higher the price of food was, I was shocked. And that’s what drove me to form Poultry For Prince George.”
She says an online petition of support already has over 400 signatures but encourages those interested in getting behind her cause to download and sign a paper petition available on their Facebook page.
“The online petition went viral pretty fast and that was awesome but we need people to download and sign because that shows council that these people are their constituents.”
Lawrence says Poultry For Prince George will visit council as a delegation on February 22.
Comments
Might as well grow our own the grocery store owners are getting rich. But all the blame is the low Canadian dollar which will never go away. So pay up everyone or grow you own nothing better than collecting fresh eggs out of your own backyard. :)
NO !!! just no I have no desire to listen to someone else’s chickens squawking if I wanted to hear that I would live on a farm on near one
Good feed for foxes.
I agree about the annoying squawking, would drive me nuts. It would probably shut up the barking dogs as they and the foxes would have something to eat!
100% NO! Not only are they noisey, but they stink like crazy in the summer. If you live in the bowl and your neighbour has chickens you can say goodbye to enjoying your backyard in the summer. The stink will drive you crazy if the sound doesn’t.
I doubt if very many people will want to have chickens along with the time and effort it takes to feed and water them, clean up their droppings and collect eggs. Then of course if you want to eat them, you have to kill them, pluck them, eviscerate them and get rid of the feathers, guts, etc;
My guess is most people in this town will bypass this option. Having chickens in larger areas, and allowing people in outlying areas to have more chickens is a different kettle of fish. We need these farmers to grow as much food as possible so we can purchase fresh eggs, meat, and vegetables at the local farmers markets.
Having a robust local food supply is a good idea, and we may sometime in the future be very glad that we have one.
All joking aside. I had a neighbour with chickens and they are very stinky, then he got rid of them and butchered rabbits. They completely reeked! I live on a 1.3 acre lot, as do all my neighbours. The common thing I have is everyone puts this crap as far away from their house, but right on the property line of the neighbour to enjoy. Same with all their old junk they hoard!Anyway, they finally moved. The new owners brought horses for everyone to smell, never cleaned the pen. The city does nothing. The neighbour that enjoyed the stinky horse crap called them steady to no avail. This is high end homes in North Nechako
Summit, what would you be doing in that backyard? You aren’t allowed to have a fire anymore AND you live in the bowl and your worried about the stink from chickens!! LOL comedian.
Back when I was a kid, folks on Alward St. had 10 chickens. They were getting a little old so a buddy and I butchered them and we were given them to take home. Chicken stew? Wow!
I know someone who has chickens. There is very little noise, and I don’t know where some of these posters are from, but there’s no stink from 10 chickens, and the manure is great for flower beds. If someone doesn’t take care of them, I would complain. So what, are we just gonna think everyone is gonna be terrible chicken owners and say no?
Giver yer heads a shake. A lot of folks in this town were raised on farms and in rural areas, they’re responsible pet owners and I’m sure they’ll be great chicken owners. All the peelings off potatoes, broccoli, carrots etc., that’s what they eat. And, there’s nothing that beats a free range egg and an incredible chicken stew. No antibiotics, no crap in them and I have no doubt you nimby folks will be the first to ask for an egg or two.
When I can buy a nice roasted chicken less that $10 at the grocery store the economics just don’t add up. Everything factored in it’s going to be more than $10 a bird to raise them up. That’s not even considering the time involved and the mess of slaughter.
What do people think is going to happen when it gets cold, like real cold? I guess they may bring them inside “once”. I doubt they would do it twice.
Note:
This is in reference to 6 or less as the article states, not large scale operations.
I agree with Grizzly2. When I was a kid there was a chicken farm right behind where the bowling alley, and books and co., are on third avenue.
Don’t recall anyone bitching about the smell. Seems its ok to smell the mills in this area, and the fumes from the many restaurants, diesel/gas from service stations, refinery, etc; etc; so why not a little chicken poo.??
Seems to be ok to cover our sidewalks, school yards, and parks with dog crap. Hmmmmm.
Billy, seriously, have you seen how that nice roasted chicken is housed with his 5000 buddies in a huge barn? Have you seen how they’re butchered?
Have you even heard of growth hormones?
Have you seen the crap put in their food to fight the salmonella, bacteria,
and every other disease under the sun that chickens get. Do you know that you digest those things when you eat them, even after cooking them? You a vegan yet?
Take them inside? You’re kidding right? Ever been to a farm? Ever heard of heat lamps? Or are you just book read?
Have you ever heard of a person getting sick from a home grown chicken? Or eggs?
Think of the kids learning to look after their own chickens, the healthy environment they’re raised in, it’s like getting a moose or deer in your freezer, no crap in your meat.
I’m all for it.
When I lived in a rural area we raised chickens, dozens of them. There was no problem with smell. They did cackle when an egg was laid, not a problem considering all the other noise in town, like barking dogs. And the roosters would crow but roosters aren’t allowed in town. In winter all you need is an insulated chicken house with a little heat
Problem is, you can’t leave. Somebody has to take care of them so you can get tied down. In my opinion, not worth the bother, but if my neighbour wanted to do it I wouldn’t mind.
Grizzly2
Calm down dude, I was simply addressing the economics of the thing with 6 or less birds. I’ve had this exact discussion with my girl in the past, we would not save a dime. yea it would be a better bird more than likely but not cheaper.
My reply was more directed to the YAY I can get some chickens and eat for free. There’s a whole lot of people who think this way and are behind this for that reason.
They fail because they don’t take into account the work and expense of raising birds.
If a person wants to do this for your reasons all the power to them and they have my support. Don’t get me wrong I am not anti backyard chickens, I am just trying to get the message out that you will not save any money doing it.
I have a couple of dozen chickens. Noise is not an issue with the hens. The smell isn’t nearly as bad as the pulp mill smell and, you will have decent fertilizer in a couple of years.
The work and expense is minimal. Keep the coop clean, keep the water fresh and make sure they have food and you’re good to go.
No way not a chance.
Chickens never shut up and roosters are worse.
The stench is overpowering.
Please define “chickens kept responsibly”. Does that mean your neigbours have to grin and bear the noise and the stench?
This council keeps making activist decisions. If they allow this I will spend money and time to throw them all out of office next election.
It’s bad enough the crap we have to put up with from neighbours under the guise of “living in the north” such as weak useless or nonexistent bylaws protecting people from being harassed by neighbours’ smoke stack boiling gobs of smoke into our properties and homes.
Allowing chickens to be raised in urban neighbourhoods will turn me from a pacificistic ( is that a word?) person to a political enemy of the morons that would vote it in.
Enough already.
wait till you get 6 or 7 roosters within a 6 block area and each one going off at sunrise .
That would be a cockophony saywhat.
BCG…ya find the meds??yer nose may be to close to the 5 hole EH!!
The current zoning does seem awfully restrictive with regard to animals. Even out here on the Hart, right near a feed store, where most people have large lots, you aren’t allowed to have more than a couple of chickens or rabbits as pets. I don’t think allowing them would be a problem.
I have lived beside chickens,
it was not a pleasant time,
noise and smell….
it is easier to stop this now than to try and get bylaws to deal with the problems that may arise later on.
Moving here from Vancouver must have been a shock..for house prices/traffic/noise etc.
What the heck with the hens, one will need a pig – bacon/ham, cow – milk/butter/cream/meat/leather, horse – transportation/hide, sheep – wool..mitts/blankets and the list goes on.
Billy, appreciate where you’re coming from, I just look from a viewpoint of health and knowing what’s in processed chickens vs farm.
BCRacer@But we already have noise and other nuisance bylaws, don’t we? If the neighbours’ rooster drives you crazy, doesn’t that come under the existing noise by-law, just has their barking dog or loud music does?
Chickens are filthy, smelly, attract diseases (avian flu) and rodents such as mice and rats. Should fit in very nicely in PG!
If chickens were allowed ,could some tell me how city hall would police the number of chickens a person would have??
How about thinking about shift workers… trying to sleep during the day when all these rosters are beaking off, not even sure earplugs would get rid of it.
If you want chickens..then move out to the country.. why should the city change for you… why don’t you change for yourself ? Then you could really save money… less taxes, could raise all your own meat.. huge garden.. etc… win win for you.
I’m pretty sure the PG for Poultry Group has specified “hens” in their request. Not sure why everyone is beaking off about roosters when they’re not part of the request.
As well, they’re only asking for a maximum of 6 birds which is hardly going to signal the end of the world as most of the naysayers seem to believe.
@axman
If a person had 12 or 20 birds,please tell me WHAT would cityhall be able to do?
Posted on Monday, February 8, 2016 @ 10:13 AM by onefingertyper with a score of 0
@axman
If a person had 12 or 20 birds,please tell me WHAT would cityhall be able to do?
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If you’re of the belief that the City won’t do anything if the bylaw is amended, why are people jumping through hoops when they can just go ahead and start raising them now?
Believe it or not, the majority of people will follow the rules.
Hey, any of you folks ever hypnotized a chicken? It’s Funny!
anyone else notice the opposition petition is conveniently hidden or missing?
Posted on Monday, February 8, 2016 @ 10:28 AM by bcracer with a score of 0
anyone else notice the opposition petition is conveniently hidden or missing?
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The 2 people opposed are too busy making arguments in this thread. :)
So the person moves from Vancouver and is shocked at the food prices.. Really? But how about house prices? The $500,000 or so you saved kind of makes up for it don’t ya think? You can actually buy a house here, gas is cheaper as well.. What’s next for you to change to suit your non Vancouver life style? Make the Cougars a NHL team..lol
How about chicken lanes? It would be great to see individuals walking their 6 chickens holding a poop bag!
@axman
It took the city of PG nearly 2 years in court to rid the 20 plus fowl in our neighbers back yard.We were unable to use our backyard for 4 plus years because of the stench!!
Posted on Monday, February 8, 2016 @ 11:15 AM by onefingertyper with a score of 1
@axman
It took the city of PG nearly 2 years in court to rid the 20 plus fowl in our neighbers back yard.We were unable to use our backyard for 4 plus years because of the stench!!
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Obviously, the bylaws mean nothing to them. Denying responsible people the opportunity to raise a maximum of 6 hens just because there are a few scofflaws out there is ridiculous.
If you allow Chicken’s , You can expect the Flea population to increase substantially .
Posted on Monday, February 8, 2016 @ 12:03 PM by Cornbinder with a score of 0
If you allow Chicken’s , You can expect the Flea population to increase substantially .
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No fleas in PG.
Chickens don’t get fleas . They do carry mites ,lice and many varied internal parasites but the main concern should be them being vectors in pandemics ala sars virus .
Yeah, eh? All them darn farm kids bringing their chicken fleas to school! Shoulda known. ha ha ha ha ha!
Oldman… don’t get jillian started on chicken only lanes.. to funny ;)
Put chickens in this new park….The Pluckers on Council will take care of this…take em a bucket of KFC……
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