Urban Hens spotted in Cedar Cottage

Urban Hens on Stainsbury Street

Yes, the rumor is true and it looks like our neighbors have taken advantage of Vancouver's Urban Chicken bylaws.

My first experience with urban farming was in high school. My friend Christy and I went to the PNE and brought home a handful of chicks in a cardboard box on the Dunbar bus. We got a lot of curious looks as the chicks were pecking their tiny beaks through the air holes. Once home, she kept them in her yard until they grew into chickens, then, one unannounced day, her dad chopped their heads off on his work bench. I was gladly not there for that. He mixed them in the freezer with the store-bought ones... you get the picture. Later, she also raised a turkey named Pecker, but I don't know what happened to him....

Seems from the city website that raising your hens is a serious commitment. Did you know that they can live up to 14 years or longer, just like a cat or a dog? Apparently, chickens get lonely and like to hang out in a small pack of 3 or four depending on their age and personality. Who knew?

Once you've built your coop according to special specifications so that they are well kept, healthy, ventilated and able to socialize, you must ensure their safety from other curious creatures such as birds, squirrels, raccoons, dogs, coyotes, rats and people.

Urban hens are strictly kept for their eggs. No roosters allowed. No backyard slaughtering parties. Get used to having eggs bennies every day as hens start to lay eggs around 6 months, peaking at around 18 months and slowly decreasing with age.

Just like any pet, hens need to taken care of daily; food, water, cleaning, supervised free time, grooming, medication and a whole lot of other tasks. What about vacations? Can't send them to hen daycare, so you must have a chicken lover neighbor who is willing to come visit while you are away.

Wanna give it a try?  Seems novel eh? You could be riding the skytrain on your morning commute with a belly full of yummy no mile free range eggs. Of course if you're from most parts of the rest of the world, it ain't such a fancy deal. But heck, if you've got the space... and the clucks for it... go for it!

Urban Hens in Araruama, Brazil at my father-in-law's.