Vaudreuil latest Quebec city to join backyard chicken coop trend

Vaudreuil-Dorion will become the sixth Quebec city to pass a by-law legalizing raising chickens in residential backyards.

“There’s a demand for this,” said Mayor Guy Pilon. “But raising chickens is a lot of work. We don’t think many people will be doing it.”

A growing number of people are raising chickens in their backyards as people turn to foods like free-range eggs.

Yet surprisingly there aren’t a lot of regulations on raising the birds in the province; most areas simply don’t have rules that cover it.

Currently only Carignan, Chambly, Notre-Dame-de-l’Ile-Perrot, Drummondville and Sorel-Tracy have by-laws.

The practice is permitted in the Montreal boroughs of Rosemont-Petite Patrie and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, but it either has to be done through a communal organization (Rosemont) or at a public garden (Hochelaga).

Pilon, who grew up on a farm, thinks there will be an initial wave of interest in Vaudreuil, but that will likely subside.

“If you think dogs need a lot of attention, these animals require a lot more attention.”