No hens will come home to roost in Prince George after councillors defeated a motion Monday night to bring them to city dweller's backyards.
"Leave chickens on the farm where they belong," said Coun. Albert Koehler, noting he grew up on a farm stocked with hens, geese and sheep.
"I can tell you, chickens smell. They are noisy. They cause problems that I guess many would not know about," he said.
"We are inviting disease, noise, smell, danger and eventually conflict with neighbours."
Earlier in her presentation, Poultry for Prince George member Laura Lawrence said "we're not talking about a chicken farm," but the group's research faced several councillors whose minds had been made up.
Albert Koehler, Terri McConnachie and Brian Skakun spoke forcefully against a motion for both a pilot and further research by staff into the viability of backyard poultry in Prince George. Councillors said staff were busy as is and that poultry was low on the priority list, if on it at all.
"It's not the food security issue, it's not the discussion of predators. It has nothing to do with noise, smell, disease, rodents," said McConnachie, adding she understands the mitigation techniques.
Poultry for Prince George gave council recommendations that dealt with how the hens are housed, basic care, predator and pest control. The presentation also included a number of objectives they felt the shift would have fulfilled, like supporting a healthy community and encouraging a culture of local food growth.
"What it comes down to is two major reasons: one is just the basic expectation and decision of urban versus rural living," said McConnachie, adding the second is she doesn't perceive a paucity of egg production for residents.
"I don't see a real hardship for an access to eggs," she said, from small or large chains.
Merrick challenged that narrative, saying all eggs are from out of town and are likely about a month old by the time they sit in Prince George shelves.
"A lot of the hype is around the implementation phase," said Coun. Jillian Merrick, who served as acting Mayor at Monday's meeting. "I feel like the concerns have been overplayed here."
Merrick said she could "see the writing on the wall" before she called the vote, which was defeated with five against despite her, Susan Scott and Garth Frizzell's vote in favour.
Lawrence stressed hens are not noisy, given roosters were out of the mix. A barking dog clocks 110 decibels, whereas a chicken is its loudest when laying an egg and can max out at 63 decibels.
Nevertheless, Skakun worried the request to allow up to six chickens on lots under 2,000 square metres would bother bystanders. The group was asking for a number of amendments to the following: zoning bylaw, rural residential, suburban residential, single residential, manufactured homes and two-unit residential.
"It makes it wide open," Skakun said.
"People in small lots are frustrated with barking dogs, they're frustrated with other noises."
"I don't think it would be fair."
Skakun said city staff are busy enough as it is with, and "now we want to throw chickens literally into the mix" to create more work.
"Our dance card's pretty full," said McConnachie.
"I think it's perhaps ahead of its time."
Krause said he was concerned about the number of calls disgruntled neighbours would make to bylaw services, given officer's response is complaint driven.
"We haven't heard a lot from the people who are in support," he said.
Merrick, who has had backyard hens before, spoke strongly in favour of having staff look into the amendments. Sixty per cent of the province has bylaws that allow for backyard hens, she noted.
"We are way behind the curve on this," said Merrick, ticking off a number of communities - Smithers, Williams Lake, Kamloops, Vancouver - that allow hens.
"The rationale for it is there," Frizzell said.
Rather than cursory Google searches, he said it's worth city staff looking into it to see what's the right answer for Prince George.
"When everything's past and put in place, it does not tend to be an issue," said Lawrence, adding concerns over chickens as bear attractants were overblown.
"This was a big media thing. It was made out to be a huge deal... they wanted to catch headlines. This actually can be mitigated," she said, pointing to a secure coop through electric fencing and through mindful regulation.
"This is where you come in."
Despite the group's research and the 470 petition signatures, council took a pass on urban poultry.
