Keeping fowl is not so foul

There has been some talk lately about the possibility of the city council considering letting city residents raise chickens in their backyards. I have watched and listened to the arguments and for the most part it seems some of the council members are missing the point.

The health of the community would thrive with backyard chickens because there are more benefits to raising chickens than just fresh eggs and meat. Chickens can contribute to the social, economic, and environmental well-being of the community. They help out in the garden and the neighborhood by improving garden health, suppressing pests and weeds, and building soil fertility. They give children the opportunity to learn where their food comes from, and producing nutritious eggs to be enjoyed by the people that raise them.

The first thought of some of the council members is that we will have an outbreak of Avian flu, and that these creatures are dirty and disease ridden. They figure the stench of chicken poop alone will be enough to shut down the city. I wonder, if the earth is flat, could we fall off the edge if we roam too far?

First off, when we hear stories in the news about chicken farms being shut down because of Avian flu or what is suspected of being Avian flu, we need to look at what is really going on. In those instances these are farms with buildings that house thousands of chickens in close quarters the immune systems of these animals are compromised already by the state of their dwellings. You simply cannot compare a farm with those kinds of numbers with a backyard coop raising a few birds.

If certain persons on council are worried about backyard chickens being carriers of disease they may take comfort in this. The international sustainable agriculture organization GRAIN concluded in a 2006 report: "When it comes to bird flu, diverse small-scale poultry farming is the solution, not the problem," because poultry raised on a small scale are less likely to carry diseases than factory-farmed poultry. Major Cities all over America allow and even encourage backyard hens. They are fun, educational, and make good neighbors.

Now, what about the smell and noise that will over power our city. Hens are quieter than dogs or parrots and when well-cared-for as suburban pets (not as farm animals) they don't smell. Have you ever walked into a house that has cats and a litter box or walked into a yard that has many doggy piles around?

As for the overall health of the community I personally feel that backyard chickens provide more benefits than detriment. In fact, if the City of Kelowna wants to take their environmental and green initiatives beyond the lip service stage they would do well with the allowing of backyard chickens. This implementation would fit perfectly into the “Living Greener” philosophy they have seemed to have adopted with the cosmetic pesticide ban, composting and so on.

It is true, many arguments may be valid, but there are solutions and instead of wasting countless thousands of dollars on needless “studies”, come up with a plan and just do it.

I know that many people will be wondering what backyard chickens have to do with health and I say that it is all part of the holistic approach to living imagine having fresh nutritious eggs that have not been treated with hormones and the like to feed to your family.

I for one will be waiting for the day when I can have backyard chickens. I will then know that I am in a truly progressive green community.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.