Some residents of Mansfield-et-Pontefract may soon find it more difficult to keep chickens if Mansfield council passes a bylaw to restrict the possession of these animals on certain properties.
On Oct. 2, council moved a draft bylaw to restrict the possession of chickens on residential properties of under 10,000 square metres (slightly less than three acres), and ban the possession of roosters.
The current bylaw, in place since 2010, says no chickens are allowed on properties of that size, but this has not stopped residents from keeping them.
Mayor Sandra Armstrong said the possession of chickens has not been an issue until this summer, when an increase in complaints regarding the smell and noise of the animals forced the council to look at changing the regulations.
“It’s the [sound of the] roosters and the smell of some places that don’t pick up after themselves,” said Armstrong, who did not mention which area of the municipality was affected.
The municipality did not say how many complaints had been received, nor how many properties were affected by the complaints.
The new draft bylaw, which will not be final until after the new municipal council enters in November, would allow chickens. It says residents will be able to have a maximum of five chickens, provided owners adhere to certain conditions.
A coop must be built at least three metres from any property line or structure; owners must maintain the coop to minimize strong odours, vermin, flies or noise; a composter must be installed on the property; and roosters will not be permitted.
The new bylaw is similar to rules that other municipalities in Quebec have in place for chickens and roosters. The City of Gatineau made similar changes in 2017 and 2018 to its bylaw 183-2005 regarding the keeping of small farm animals.
According to the city’s website, a maximum of five chickens and a coop are allowed on a single plot of land, with similar rules about size of the lot and distance from adjoining lots. Similarly, roosters are not permitted.
Armstrong said the council cannot move to fully pass this bylaw until after the elections, at which point citizens will be able to vote on the new bylaw through a registry.
“That will decide if it goes through or not,” said Armstrong, who added that a certain percentage of votes will determine if the bylaw passes or not.
The new rules are not much consolation for resident Terri Adams, who said that many of her 13 chickens are old and that she cannot simply get rid of them.
“What do they expect me to do?” she said, adding that she has the animals for emotional support as well as food.
“My coop is cleaned every week, their water is changed every couple of days,” she said.
Collin Mignault, who has kept roosters and chickens for eggs and meat on his property for more than 10 years, expressed frustration with the new bylaw, adding that many people in the municipality have gotten chickens in recent years.
“The economic situation we’re living in these past few years has pushed a lot of people to get chickens and provide for themselves. And now, for a few complaints they’re going to shut that down for everybody to benefit from that,” he said.
Armstrong said she recognizes that there are more people seeking alternative forms of living since the pandemic, but it is also important to keep residential areas quiet and pleasant.
“It’s a new way of living now with chickens, but then we have to please the other people that don’t like the odours,” she said.
