The Municipality of Chatham-Kent currently permits chickens and roosters on properties zoned agricultural.
On May 27th, 2024, Chatham-Kent Council requested that administration draft a by-law for a pilot program to permit the keeping of hens on rural residential and village residential properties.
What's next?
Administration has prepared a draft Backyard Chickens By-law. Before Council's consideration, the public was given two opportunities to provide input and feedback through the following means:
- September 4, 2024, to September 19, 2024, through Let's Talk Chatham-Kent online forum; and
- September 19, 2024, at the Ken Houston Memorial and Agricultural Centre located at 1212 North St, Dresden at 6:00 pm (in person meeting or virtually through live stream on Facebook and YouTube).
The results of the feedback from the Let's Talk survey and the public meeting will be provided to Council with the draft Backyard Chickens By-law at the the November 4, 2024 Council Meeting. Note: As per the Chatham-Kent Procedure By-law, section 7.10 (c) - no deputations will be received at the Council meeting when there has been at least one (1) public meeting held at which the public was provided the opportunity to make formal presentations on that subject matter.
To see the draft report please choose report 17. a. from the Council Meeting Agenda.
Please note chickens are permitted on agricultural zoned properties. The draft by-law is to permit and regulate hens on properties zoned rural residential and village residential.
You may check your property zoning at this link. Enter your address in the top left corner in the Search box.
Past Information
