A Regina woman is advocating for a pilot project to allow 20 household residents to keep two to six backyard chickens for two years.
Amy Snider keeps four hens in her backyard, which she says provide emotional support. At the start of the COVID pandemic in 2020, Snider and her son went to visit a farm two hours south of Regina to do some volunteering. It was then that she became close with the chickens, and realized how much happiness they brought to, her life.
“I was going through a really difficult period, and I really just found that having those four hens here just brightened our lives,” said Snider. “No matter how bad I was feeling, I could come outside, and they’d help, you know, they cheer me up.”
Snider describes her hens named Scrambled, Omelette, Julia and Martha as silly, joyful and quirky as each one has their own personality. Snider has become Regina’s chicken queen as she advocates through her Facebook page called Queen City Chickens.
“Everything about them … kind of puts a smile on everyone’s faces,” she said. “I had checked with all my neighbours in advance of bringing them here. And my neighbours had no problems whatsoever and really loved having them in the neighborhood.”
Snider said the common concerns around keeping hens are the smells, messes and the noises, but she said those claims are not true.
“Those are the three main misconceptions that people have of urban backyard hens but with my four birds, there’s no smell whatsoever,” said Snider.
Ward 8 Councilor Shanon Zachidniak says she will be putting forward the pilot project motion in January 2024.
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