EDMONTON – If you’re interested in keeping chickens in your backyard, this is your chance. The City of Edmonton started accepting applications Thursday for Urban Hen Keeping Licences.
Applications can be sent through the City of Edmonton website, where Edmontonians can also learn about the process.
READ MORE: What you need to know about backyard chickens
Those who are interested in applying must take an introductory hen keeping course before submitting their application, and are encouraged to read Edmonton’s Urban Hen Keeping Procedures and Guidelines.
Fifty licences will be issued. Those who apply after those licences are issued will be put on a wait list.
READ MORE: Edmonton to expand urban hens pilot project to 50 sites
In March, city council agreed to extend the pilot project for another two years and to increase the number of permits from 18 to 50. The city said the extension will allow it to continue to study the potential benefits and issues with having urban hens.
Immediate neighbours of new urban hen keepers will be notified, however, they won’t be able to appeal the decision.
The city said the urban hen program works well with Edmonton’s Food and Urban Agriculture Strategy, which recommends the city explores opportunities for Edmontonians to keep bees and raise hens.
WATCH: Expect a bit more rural in the heart of the city in the months ahead. The pilot program which allows for urban hens is expanding, despite some issues. Vinesh Pratap has more.