The idea that people are somehow still of a the mind that raising chickens in their backyards in an urban setting is a good thing just plows my mind.
First of all, what is with this fatuous notion that there is a shortage of eggs anywhere in the CRD or anywhere else in B.C. Some retailers may choose to limit what they order, and when a shipment is gone then there are none for sale at that shop, but a shortage? I don’t think so.
True at the outset of COVID 11 months ago hoarding resulted in shortages of many things, most predominantly toilet paper, but the supply side has since caught up.
Eggs are controlled by a marketing board so supply and demand walk somewhat hand in hand and eggs could be imported from the U.S. which seems to have no bounds on production since Washington has so many support programs to keep their farmers whole.
Chickens are stinky. Why should a neighbourhood be dragged down to stinkhole status because someone wants to raise chickens in their back yard.
Then there is the question of rats. Is it not enough that we have a rat problem now throughout many areas of the CRD that we would want to add more sources of food and attractants in back yards when most of the neighbours are trying to rid themselves of them.
Modern cars no longer have petroleum-based plasticizers in their wiring insulation. One of the adverse affects of the outcry against Phthalate plasticizers was PVC manufacturers moved over to vegetable-based oils as substitutes and auto manufacturers put as much as 10 km of wiring covered in this stuff in their cars. They might as well put sticks with pods of Cheez Whiz or peanut butter under the hoods.
Municipal councils should be banning the practise of keeping any animals other than household pets on unban land.
You want to be a gentleman farmer? Buy a small farm in the country and have at it.
Alex Currie
North Sannich
