The number of birds allowed in backyard chicken coop in the City of Grande Prairie has gone up by two. City council approved a motion Monday allowing residents up to six birds under the livestock exemption permit program, an increase from the previous limit of four.
Councillor Chris Theissen says increasing the number of chickens residents are allowed helps move the community towards being more sustainable, as well as increasing food security.
“Part of being sustainable is being able to meet your needs, not just for housing and having clean water but also having access to food as well. With the cost of living going, and people generally loving raising chickens in their neighbourhoods, this is somewhere where now these two birds will be able to produce extra eggs for them that they can share with their neighbours.”
Residents who already have a livestock exemption permit will have to reapply if they want to add additional birds to their flock because of regulation changes.
“Hopefully everyone is able to play by the rules and the new guidelines when it comes to the coops, but this is exciting and is nothing to cluck about,” Thiessen adds.
The decision comes a week after administration presented to council that since the Urban Hen program launched in 2018 there have been 14 complaints filed.