Hawkeye bird and animal removal news update bulletins
Backyard chickens may invite predators
Hawkeye's Dan Frankian weighed in on Toronto city council's consideration of lifitng the current ban on barnyard chickens:
TORONTO - Some Toronto residents with a hankering for their own fresh eggs could soon be in luck if city council approves a pilot project that would lift a ban on backyard hens. Four Toronto wards would be part of the project and comes as part of a motion to review the city's list of prohibited animals, which currently includes chickens.
A survey included in a city staff report filed in May suggested that lifting the ban on chickens could be a popular move. “There's a lot of benefits, for sure,” said Coun. Justin Di Ciano, whose west-end ward will be part of the pilot project. Home-raised chickens are a healthier alternative to store-bought eggs, he said, and they keep away pests. He also characterized them as a “cruelty-free” alternative to factory-farmed eggs.