Backyard chicken advocates rally in Calgary

Chickens strutted on a Calgary sidewalk Wednesday night as about 100 people rallied for a bylaw change that would legalizeraising the birds in backyards.

The rally, organized by the Canadian Liberated Urban Chicken Klub (CLUCK), was held outside a movie theatre in the neighbourhood of Kensington.

During the rally, some chickens pecked at the sidewalk, while others were in pens.

"Especially since this works in huge cities like Vancouver and Seattle, why can't we have it work in Calgary where we're even more agricultural friendly?" saidJennifer Cavanagh, who was in the crowd.

Some Calgarians raise chickens in their backyards,even thougha city bylaw forbids raising livestock in mostareas. There is an exemption for pigeons.

Andrea, who wouldn't give her last name because she has two chickens living in her home and backyard, said chickens have a place in the city. She considers her chickens to be pets.

"They are with me forever, they snuggle with me at night. Eggs are a great byproduct. I'll give them love if they'll give me eggs," she said.

Bylaw officer suggests review

The head of the city's bylaw services, Bill Bruce, wants to take a second look at the issue.

"A lot of things have changed in the last couple of years with how people think about food and how they think about how food is raised. So I think it's probably an appropriate time for us to have a look. Is this bylaw current and appropriate or does there need to be some changes made?"

Two Calgarians have been charged with raising backyard chickens and have court dates set for next month.

Paul Hughes, a member of the CLUCK group who raises chickens in a shed, said he hopes that those cases will be adjourned until after the bylaw review, which he supports.

"We're 100 per cent co-operative with that [review] and we fully endorse that. We think that's a great idea. Let's get all the facts on the table, let's look at what other jurisdictions are doing."