Calgary backyard chicken licensing starts
Posted Mar 29, 2023 2:28 pm.
Last Updated Mar 30, 2023 1:20 pm.
If you’re thinking of getting your own chicken and producing your own eggs in the backyard, now is the time.
The City of Calgary updated an existing bylaw allowing people to get a hen licence under the updated Responsible Pet Ownership (RPO) Bylaw.
This comes after a pilot project implemented in 2022 proved to be successful. It allowed 100 people to own hens in their backyards.
The city says in a statement the bylaw goes hand in hand — in structure and implementation — with the national care guidelines for chickens and other municipalities across the country.
“We heard from Calgarians that modern pet ownership means more than just caring for cats and dogs,” said Tara Decker, coordinator of Administration and Pet Licensing, Animal Services.
“The rules are designed to mitigate concerns before they start – things like not allowing roosters, and ensuring proper housing, training, care conditions, and opportunities to address any concerns from your community.”
Eligibility criteria includes being over 18 years old, owning the property where the hens will be kept, getting proper hen-keeping and caring training, obtaining a free Premise Identification (PID) number from the Government of Alberta, and contacting the city’s Planning and Development section to plan “where the coop will be built in their backyards.”
The city adds hens live in groups, so licenses should be applied to own two to four hens.
People can start applying for an urban livestock licence on Wednesday. For more information visit the city’s website.
