BE IT THEREFORE ENACTED by the Council of The Corporation of the City
of Guelph as follows:
1. No person shall keep ducks, geese, poultry or pigeons within the limits of
The City of Guelph unless kept in pens, with floors kept free from
standing water, and regularly cleaned and disinfected, and that such pens
be a distance of at least 50’ from any school, church or dwelling house not
including the owners dwelling house.
2. It shall be an offence to contravene any section of this By-law. Any
person convicted of an offence hereunder shall be liable to a fine not less
than $23 and not more than $500.
3. By-law Number 2860 is hereby repealed.
PASSED this TWENTY FIRST day of OCTOBER, 1985.
1985. This is the last time the City Of Guelph revisited this by-law, which, according to a City of Guelph by-law officer we spoke with, was first enacted in 1944. A lot has changed since 1944.
Right now, you must have 50' of distance between your coop and the dwelling of your neighbour. What does this mean for those on smaller properties? What if neighbours get together and want to erect a coop and share it? Does the 50' law still apply?
More and more individuals are taking responsibility for providing food for themselves and their families. Regulations have to be in place to protect our communities from decay and animals from neglect or abuse. What if everyone were permitted to keep chickens, with their flock size relative to the amount of space between themselves and the nearest dwelling?
A by-law in Iowa City requires only the written permission of your neighbours to keep a chicken coop. Right now, this blogger has that, but according to the City, it isn't enough.
Should urban chicken-keeping by-laws be revisited?
Of course, it needs to be amended. If I like having chickens 47 feet from my house why am I not allowed to have chickens 47 feet from my house?
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