Rossland city council has set a second public hearing for Nov. 16 to discuss an amended bylaw that would allow chickens in residents’ yards.
Mayor Kathy Moore said council has made some amendments to the bylaw since it passed first reading during a meeting on Oct. 5.
“The bylaw now requires people to put electric fencing around their yards if they want chickens,” said Moore.
“There are also less regulations around how many chickens are allowed and where you can put them. You can now have up to 15 chickens in your front yard, side yard or backyard.”
Moore and other residents asked for electric fencing to be installed during the first public hearing to make it harder for wildlife to access chicken coops. WildSafeBC also recommends having electric fencing around coops.
Despite the support, one councillor and several residents also voiced their opposition to the electric fencing.
According to a report by city planner Stacey Lightbourne, the fences will also need to have a conduction between 6000 and 10,000 volts and have corner posts around them that are supported by guy wires.
Residents will also need to keep their chicken coops between nine square meters and 10 square meters to keep them in compliance with the BC Building code.
Castlegar already allows bee keeping and backyard hens on residential properties. Stipulations in its bylaw require residents to have electric fencing and limits them to a maximum of five chickens.
READ MORE: Rossland city council advances chicken bylaw
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