Bureaucracy At Work

The other day in the newspaper I read an article about farmers facing the floods in Quebec and Manitoba.  It seems that carp have made their way into the fields from surrounding waterways, and now that the waters are receding, farmers are left with the problem of fish in their fields.  The fact that most of these farmers will not even make a profit this year doesn't seem to matter to local officials, who are using their authority to fine farmers up to $1000 for catching fish without a permit.  And never mind that the alternative is to leave the fish there to rot, and that farmers are struggling to regain any of their damaged crops.  Rules are rules, right?

On that same note, I was told by City of Guelph By-Law officials, that free-range hens are not allowed in Guelph.   The by-law states that chickens must be "kept in pens, free of standing water, and disinfected regularly."  Despite my chickens having a coop where they live, roost and nest, its solid wood floors free of standing water and disinfected regularly, I was told their fenced run was not permitted, because "you can't disinfect the ground."  Yes, these were their exact words.

As chicken keepers, you already know:  the whole purpose of backyard chickens is to promote a closed eco-system, practice permaculture, and give our birds the happiest life possible.   The solution, I was told, was to put down a concrete floor outside.  Never mind that chickens need to dust themselves daily, using dirt on the ground to keep their feathers free of ticks and parasites which threaten their lives.  And peck at the ground for sprouts and insects?  Forget it.

If I wanted to eat eggs from chickens raised without the benefit of a free-run I would buy them at the supermarket. Or I could lock them up in the coop all day, force-feed them antibiotics to eliminate the need for dusting, and cram in as many birds as possible for maximum egg yield.

The chickens (and I) would be miserable, but at least I would be obeying the by-law.