During the September 26, 2022 Council meeting, Council passed By-Law 3578-2022 – the Backyard Fowl By-Law.
This By-Law applies to residents keeping backyard fowl on properties zoned as Residential Village and/or Rural according to the township’s Zoning By-Law who have less than 4.94 acres (2 ha) of land.
Fowl is defined within the By-Law as “all birds or fowl normally raised for food or egg production, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, includes chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks.”
Below are a few important points outlined in the By-Law:
- On a property zoned Residential Village (RV) that is under 0.5 acres (0.202ha), the owner shall keep no more 5 fowl.
- On a property zoned Residential Village (RV) that is over 0.5 acres (0.202ha), the owner shall keep no more than 10 fowl.
- On a property zoned Rural (RU) that is 4.94 acres (under 2ha), the owner shall keep no more than 25 fowl.
- No property owner shall keep roosters.
- The property owner shall ensure that their backyard fowl do not run at large. Running at Large is defined in the By-Law as “fowl being elsewhere than on the property of the owner and not being under the immediate control of the owner.”
- Coops or runs are not to be located in a front or side yard.
- Every owner shall ensure that manure is stored and managed in a manner which will not cause an adverse effect as defined in the Environmental Protection Act (1990).
- No owner shall permit backyard fowl to be or cause a public nuisance. Public nuisance is defined in the By-Law as “an act or process by backyard fowl, which interferes with a person’s enjoyment of their property, and anything that disturbs the health and safety of the general public or keeps people from being comfortable and shall include excessive noise and smells.”
To read the complete By-Law, visit the Backyard Fowl By-Law page.