I just got this reply back to an email I sent regarding chickens in Oshawa....
Here is my question first.
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Hello,
I have searched the city of Oshawa web site for the answer to this question and I can't find anything restricting someone from keeping a few laying hens (chickens) in their back yard in Oshawa . Under exotic animals, birds in the by-law poultry were not listed. But pet stores are not allowed to sell poultry. So are chickens allowed in Oshawa ?
Any information you can give me would be most helpful.
Thank you.
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And the reply...
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Hello and thank you for your enquiry.
You are correct in your reading of the by-law in that Chickens are not specifically prohibited from being kept at this time. A number of by-laws were combined some years ago and this area was unintentionally left out.
You should be aware that the by-law is in the process of being redrafted and the amended by-law will include chickens as being restricted to being kept in areas zoned agricultural. The likelihood is that the amended by-law will be in place by the spring of this year.
There is also a section in the by-law (Section 2.26) which deals with animal sounds and identifies it as an offence for an owner of an animal to cause, permit or allow the animal to emit animal sounds for extended or frequent periods. Animal sounds are defined under the by-law as:
""ANIMAL SOUND" means any sound emitted from an ANIMAL or DOG which is audible at a POINT OF RECEPTION. Without limitation, this term shall include barking, whimpering, whining, howling and yelping."
We have received complaints in the past with respect to the keeping of chickens and the noise created and the situation has been dealt with under that section of the by-law.
Please let us know if you have any further questions.
Here is my question first.
*************************************************************
Hello,
I have searched the city of Oshawa web site for the answer to this question and I can't find anything restricting someone from keeping a few laying hens (chickens) in their back yard in Oshawa . Under exotic animals, birds in the by-law poultry were not listed. But pet stores are not allowed to sell poultry. So are chickens allowed in Oshawa ?
Any information you can give me would be most helpful.
Thank you.
**************************************************************
And the reply...
**************************************************
Hello and thank you for your enquiry.
You are correct in your reading of the by-law in that Chickens are not specifically prohibited from being kept at this time. A number of by-laws were combined some years ago and this area was unintentionally left out.
You should be aware that the by-law is in the process of being redrafted and the amended by-law will include chickens as being restricted to being kept in areas zoned agricultural. The likelihood is that the amended by-law will be in place by the spring of this year.
There is also a section in the by-law (Section 2.26) which deals with animal sounds and identifies it as an offence for an owner of an animal to cause, permit or allow the animal to emit animal sounds for extended or frequent periods. Animal sounds are defined under the by-law as:
""ANIMAL SOUND" means any sound emitted from an ANIMAL or DOG which is audible at a POINT OF RECEPTION. Without limitation, this term shall include barking, whimpering, whining, howling and yelping."
We have received complaints in the past with respect to the keeping of chickens and the noise created and the situation has been dealt with under that section of the by-law.
Please let us know if you have any further questions.