Toronto defers vote on backyard chickens

Toronto's licensing and standards committeedeferred a voteWednesday that could have allowed residents to keep a limited number of hens in their backyards.

Thedeferred votemeans the city will continue responding to complaints, but won't actively enforce the bylaw.

Coun. Joe Mihevc brought the motion forward,noting anumber of residents who wish to keep hens in their backyards to produce eggs for personal use.

Existing bylaws prohibit the keeping of chickens in Toronto.

Mihevc's motionsaid cities such as Kingston, Ont., Vancouver, New York, Cleveland, and Los Angeles have modified their regulations to include backyard hens.

Toronto would have hadto establish regulations governing potential issues such as noise, odour, separation distances, selling of eggs, and waste disposal.