Modifications suggested for Norfolk’s poultry bylaw

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Staff is reviewing suggestions for improving the county’s urban chicken bylaw that were with Norfolk council.

Barb and Jim Beamish, residents of the Yin’s subdivision in Waterford, took an interest in the matter recently after a neighbour informed them they would like to obtain some hens. The Beamishes also have a history with the issue dating to the time they lived in Bloomsburg, a hamlet located between Simcoe and Waterford.

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“We had moved to Waterford in 2018 from Bloomsburg where our neighbour Grant Elliott died from salmonella poisoning in 2017 from picking up egg shells on his property from free-range hens belonging to his neighbours,” Barb Beamish told council on Sept. 15.

This is not the first time the Elliott tragedy was discussed at council. Son Ryan Elliott spoke of his father’s misfortune as a deputation two years ago while Norfolk County was weighing the pros and cons of backyard poultry in the urban zone.

Last year, Norfolk approved a checklist of conditions for keeping a maximum of four hens at a residential property in the urban zone. The Beamishes suggested several modifications. These include:

• Requiring keepers of urban poultry to renew and initialize an annual permit detailing precautions they must take to prevent the spread of disease while deterring nuisance issues such as vermin, flies and predators. The Beamishes say this would shift liability for poultry-based problems away from the municipality onto keepers of backyard hens.
• Require keepers of urban poultry to receive the permission of adjoining property owners before obtaining a permit.
• Increase the coop setback from the property line from nine feet to 20 feet.

Require keepers of urban poultry to periodically shift the location of their coops to prevent the build-up of waste and the contamination of soil.

“Do chicken owners know it is not allowed to dispose of chicken manure in garbage bags at the curb?” Barb Beamish asked.

“Courses should be offered to teach chicken owners how to ensure proper hand-washing, wear protective clothing when handling chickens, keep chickens outside the house, clean the coop thoroughly and regularly, and keep chickens away from individuals who are vulnerable to infection such as infants, the elderly and those with immune system deficiencies.”

Delhi Coun. Mike Columbus has reservations about keeping poultry and other livestock in the urban zone. He too worries about disease, sanitation and pest complaints. Columbus looks forward to a response from county staff.

“I’m wondering if this submission shouldn’t be put to bylaw staff for comment,” he said. “I’d like to have them comment on this and do their homework with regard to these suggestions.”