HomeMy WebLinkAboutAS 01-23Report to
Executive Committee
Report Number: AS 01-23
Date: June 5, 2023
From: Paul Bigioni
Director, Corporate Services & City Solicitor
Subject: Urban Farming
-Backyard Egg Production
-File: S-3010
Recommendation:
1. That Report AS 01-23 be received; and
2. That an urban farming pilot project not be implemented at this time.
Executive Summary: Further to Council Resolution #100/23, staff have investigated the
introduction of an urban farming pilot project, including a backyard chicken program. Animal
Services and Office of Sustainability staff have prepared individual reports.
Having reviewed both the challenges and benefits of introducing this pilot project, staff
recommend that an urban farming pilot project not be introduced at this time.
Staff carried out an extensive stakeholder consultation involving all levels of government. Staff
and stakeholders have identified serious public safety risks due to the highly pathogenic avian
influenza virus (HPAI). This is the primary reason for the recommendation not to proceed. It
must also be noted that the introduction of an urban farming pilot project would require
additional staff resources and shelter space to process, monitor and ensure animal welfare.
Financial Implications: None.
Discussion: The City’s Exotic Animal By-law 7110/11 prohibits the keeping of livestock,
such as chickens in any urban area within the City. To undertake an urban farming pilot
project, By-law 7110/11 would need to be amended, and a new regulatory framework would
need to be created to establish standards of care for keeping chickens, and property standard
requirements for the construction, size and location of coops (including distance from
neighbours and other structures). A process for licensing and inspection would also be
required to minimize complaints, ensure public health and safety and animal welfare.
Additionally, keeping chickens in urban areas could exacerbate existing wildlife feeding issues,
resulting in increased rat and rodent populations, as well as unwanted predatory wildlife
activity, including foxes and coyotes.
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AS 01-23 June 5, 2023
Subject: Urban Farming Page 2
The increased risk of fire is another potential concern. Chicken coops are generally heated by
heat lamps and these, in combination with straw or other bedding materials can be a risk for
combustion. For this reason, further consultation with Fire Services would need to occur prior
to implementing a pilot program.
In Pickering, there is limited availability of veterinarians accredited to care for chickens. As a
consequence, residents may experience a lack of support in their efforts to successfully keep
chickens, and the animals may suffer unnecessarily for want of appropriate care.
It must also be noted that the proper care, nutrition and housing of chickens requires
investments that must be considered by the home owner, including:
• cost of building an adequate shelter and secure fencing to deter wildlife;
• cost of purchasing chickens;
• time for daily chores such as feeding, collecting eggs, cleaning;
• cost to dispose of manure (if excessive and have more than residents can use);
• veterinary costs; and
• cost of proper disposal of carcases.
Lastly, animals need access to clean, fresh water on a daily basis. In the winter, that may
mean installing systems to prevent the water from freezing. What chickens are fed will also
affect their health and their ability to produce good quality eggs. A chicken’s normal diet
consists of mixed grains and oilseeds, including corn, soybeans, wheat, barley, and canola, as
well as minerals and nutrients. Although food scraps and grass clippings are often fed, they
are not recommended and they do not provide the adequate nutrients necessary to raise a
healthy chicken.
A. Stakeholder Consultation and Best Practice Scan
Staff carried out an extensive stakeholder consultation process involving all levels of
government (Municipal, Regional, Provincial and Federal) as well as the agricultural
community through the Durham Agricultural Advisory Committee.
With the outbreak of Avian Influenza in Ontario, staff met with all levels of government to
discuss concerns related to public and animal health. During these discussions, there were
concerns expressed regarding the large number of infected birds that were located during this
migration season. Public Health organizations expressed concerns regarding backyard
chickens that could contribute to infectious disease transmission to humans.
At the November 12, 2020 meeting of the Clarington Agricultural Advisory Committee,
Committee members re-stated their position on the same issue in 2010, which did not support
allowing chickens on non-agricultural lands in the municipality. The minutes were approved at
their December 2020 meeting.
At the May 9, 2023 Durham Agricultural Advisory Committee meeting, the Committee
recommended that backyard chickens not be supported within Durham Region on non-
agricultural lands. This recommendation will be considered by Regional Council at their next
scheduled meeting. A municipal scan revealed that there are currently no municipalities along
AS 01-23 June 5, 2023
Subject: Urban Farming Page 3
the Durham lakeshore that allow the keeping of chickens in residential areas. The Municipality
of Clarington examined the matter in 2021 and the Town of Ajax in 2022, and both
municipalities declined to proceed with any kind of backyard chicken program.
Although the City of Toronto implemented an Urban Hen pilot program in 2018, a staff report
released on April 12, 2023 recommends that the pilot program end, and consideration for
further extension, expansion or making the program permanent be paused indefinitely. The
report identifies the considerable costs and staff resources required to safely and effectively
run the program, combined with the current risks avian influenza virus (HPAI), as the rationale
for their recommendations.
B. Public Health and Welfare
Public health and welfare are an important concern when considering keeping chickens in
urban areas. Public Health Ontario published a research brief in 2017 which concluded that
close contact with backyard chickens may contribute to infectious disease transmission from
birds to humans, even in the absence of illness in poultry.
Salmonella lives in the intestines of infected chickens and can be shed through droppings.
Humans who handle birds or clean their enclosures can be exposed to the salmonella bacteria
and suffer severe gastrointestinal illness. Biosecurity measures may limit or prevent the
introduction and spread of infectious agents; however, various studies noted limited awareness
regarding backyard chickens and zoonotic diseases among flock owners.
C. Avian Influenza (HPAI)
As reported by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Avian Influenza is a
disease caused by a virus that primarily infects domestic poultry and wild birds such as geese,
ducks, and shore birds. HPAI H5N1 is a strain known to kill both wild birds and commercial
poultry.
In March 2022, HPAI H5N1 virus had been detected in Ontario in wild and commercial poultry.
This same strain of the virus has also been found in many other jurisdictions across the world,
including in other Canadian provinces and American states. Although its spread has been
primarily attributed to the migration of infected waterfowl, it is expected to remain a threat for
quite some time.
In March, 2023, municipalities within the GTA began to see the presence of HPAI in wild birds.
In addition, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency reported that the increase in reported cases
of HPAI serves as a strong reminder that avian influenza is spreading across the globe, and
that anyone with farm animals must practice good biosecurity habits.
D. Considerations regarding the implementation of a Pilot Project
Possible benefits of a pilot program include:
• Fertilization for gardening (ground up eggs shells and feces);
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Subject: Urban Farming Page 4
• Educational opportunities (teaching children about where food comes from, and
providing animal care experience);
• Greater control over egg source in order to know where the egg originated;
• Increased food security, although limited, when financially feasible to keep chickens;
• Modest reduction of carbon emissions associated with transporting food such as eggs;
• Companionship for family members, as chickens may be treated as a pet;
• The belief that eggs will be fresher, taste better and will be pesticide free;
• The expectation of better conditions for hens as compared to industrial farms; and/or
• Possible reduction of municipal solid waste through consumption of table scraps and
other organic waste by hens.
All that being said, many of the benefits outlined above can be obtained by purchasing eggs
from retailers who source certified organic (cage free, free roaming or born free) eggs which
are harvested in an environmentally friendly manner.
Possible problems caused by a pilot program include:
• Increased complaints of noise and odours;
• attraction of rodents and other wildlife;
• Food safety issues (egg safety, unlawful sale or redistribution, potential for disease
transmission);
• Inadequate disposal of chicken waste (methods of disposal, odours and groundwater
contamination);
• Whether chicken are kept in coops or allowed to range free, there is a significant risk of
attraction of pests and predators, including mice, rats, squirrels, raccoons, foxes,
skunks, coyotes and snakes, which would pose a threat to the chickens themselves,
and increase the risk of disease transmission;
• Inappropriate chicken slaughter (illegal slaughter and improper methods of euthanasia);
and/or
• Inadequate care of chickens (potential for disease transmission from sick hens).
Since the City’s existing animal shelter lacks adequate space to safely house sick, injured or
stray chickens, additional space would be required for this purpose. The Animals for Research
Act (Ontario) obligates the City to ensure that chickens could be safely housed and poses a
health and safety risk to any other animals in the care of the shelter.
Given the public health risks and other potential detrimental impacts on residents, staff
recommend that the City not proceed with an urban farming pilot project.
Attachments:
1. None.
AS 01-23
Subject: Urban Farming
June 5, 2023
Page 5
Prepared By:
Original Signed By:
Lindsey Narraway
Supervisor, Animal Services
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Approved/Endorsed By:
Original Signed By:
Jason Litoborski
(Acting) Manager, Municipal Law Enforcement
Services
Approved/Endorsed By:
Original Signed By:
Paul Bigioni
Director, Corporate Services & City Solicitor
Recommended for the consideration
of Pickering City Council
Original Signed By:
Marisa Carpino, M.A.
Chief Administrative Officer