Some Vancouver residents can keep chickens in their backyard but they may want to reconsider buying a hen house for now.
The City of Vancouver permits residents to have a maximum of four hens, over the age of four months on a lot (no roosters). Owners must register their hens, get permits, and notify the city if they decide not to keep them.
The Animal Control By-law does not allow residents to keep any other fowl in their backyards. However, a spokesperson for the city tells V.I.A. that it is reviewing the by-law to include more specific details on what bird species may be kept in a backyard coop.
People may also want to carefully consider the risks of handling chicks and wild birds transmitting viruses.
Vancouver criminal law lawyer Kyla Lee told V.I.A. people should be cautious about doing anything with birds given the rates of avian flu and the potential legal implications.
“The avian flu risk is high and if you tend to an animal that has the flu, then you catch it or your animal spread it, arguably you could be found liable in negligence,” she said.
“I would not want to expose myself to that risk – even if the case would not likely be successful.”
What other risks come with having backyard chickens?
Lee noted that hen owners could face legal issues even if they follow the rules.
“This can happen through nuisance claims which can include things other than what is contemplated by the chicken bylaw,” she explained.
“Any property owner or tenant has the right to quiet enjoyment of their property. So if a chicken coop, for example, smells so bad that the neighbours’ yard smells like chicken feces, a lawsuit could be commenced.”
