meansoybean

Recently a local group put out a petition to demand that chicken rearing for egg production be permitted in Montreal. At first, I thought “finally…”, since I’ve read stories about urban chickens popping up in various US cities. Let me elaborate…

For a long time, while waiting for the day I would buy a house, I’ve wanted a few hens of my own. But, contrary to everyone else, to me, they would be more like companion animals who also happen to help out with the garden; eating unwanted pests in the garden and working the soil. You might think that chickens are a strange choice, but I think a tarantula is a strange choice of pet.

Also, if ever I could raise chickens on my property, I would possibly consider eating eggs again, once in awhile. Possibly. Before I continue, let me just say that eggs were the last thing I gave up before going vegan. There’s a reason why they were the last to go; I like(d) eggs. If I were able to care for the hens myself I’d be sure of the quality of the eggs produced. But a chicken-owning vegan could just as easily barter those freshly-laid eggs for something else.

The bottom line is that, no matter what, I would let them live out their lives. Just like my cats.

But are Montrealers ready for their own hens? I don’t know.

The push for chickens in Montreal is solely based on being able to have fresh eggs easily. But given that a hen will lay for about 5 years and can live up to 18 years, this brings up a question no one has addressed in the media: what will these urban farmers do once their hens stop laying? Will we find abandoned chickens on the streets? This would cause strain on already swamped animal shelters. Will a black market of backyard-chicken butchers develop? I have an unsettling feeling this would happen. Because this question hangs in the air, I’m sure I would feel compelled to go chicken-crazy and open a rescue in order to save as many of them as possible.

While I’m obviously a proponent being able to raise your own chickens, I question if others are actually responsible enough to do it in a humane way, in an urban environment, that won’t burden the network. There needs to be set regulations that stipulate the number of chickens allowed on a certain sized piece of land, and to ensure that they’re raised in proper conditions. We cannot have people raising these birds in apartments. We cannot have dirty coops that attract rats. But who will enforce these regulations? The municipality already doesn’t have enough inspectors for all of the restaurants in the city, how will it be able to handle this?

Maybe there’s a more structured way to include chickens in urban farming… The city already has a slew of community gardens, why not add community chicken coops too? This will allow the chickens to be raised in a proper environment and people will be able to share resources and care costs. I think this is definitely the better option for most of the island of Montreal where lawns are rare and apartments abound. I hope everyone comes to their senses and considers this.

So while I know I’d be an ok chicken owner, I have my doubts about whether opening the flood gates on chickens is a good idea for the city. Just like any other animal, they require a lot in order to thrive and be happy. Let’s not make this decision in haste.