Smiths Falls Backyard Chicken Pilot Concerns

Chickens deserve protection. They deserve a life free from harm, neglect, and abandonment. That’s why we’ve taken a strong stance against the proposed backyard chicken* bylaw in Smiths Falls. Sanctuary means speaking up when we know better. It means saying the hard thing with compassion: Backyard chickens aren’t a harmless hobby. They come at a cost.

The current proposed bylaw excludes critical safeguards:

• No licensing and registration required

• No site inspections

• No proactive enforcement (complaint-based only)

• No coop requirements or build standards

• No mandatory education or training

• No contingency plan for unwanted or abandoned chickens

• No plan for emergency veterinary access

Smiths Falls is already overburdened by the feral cat crisis. The town has no animal control officers and no animal shelter. To add chickens to this overburdened system is to guarantee preventable harm.

As knowledgeable and trusted chicken caretakers, we are responsible for using our front-line experience in chicken health, behaviour, and welfare to offer sound advice and reason. We’ve submitted a detailed, evidence-backed report to council. Tomorrow (Monday, May 5, 2025), we'll deliver a 33-slide presentation outlining the gaps in the proposed bylaw and the significant risks of moving forward without meaningful oversight.

If this bylaw moves forward without clear protections in place, chickens will suffer. Smiths Falls can still choose a different path - one grounded in evidence, compassion, and long-term thinking. If you believe in responsible governance and compassionate care, we hope you’ll stand with us. For the chickens.

*We know every backyard "hen" program also includes rooster suffering. Every hatched egg comes with a 50% chance of being a rooster, and these roosters are killed when they're not what the hatchery or owner wanted. There is no such thing as a backyard program without suffering.

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🐔 Learn more, or read our full report: Backyard Chickens Pilot Report →

📧 Want to get involved? Email liz@secondhandstories.ca

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