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LETTER: Council’s chicken concerns unfounded

It makes a person wonder who is lobbying mayor and council over this issue to not allow them...

Re: Mark Rushton’s On the Other Hand, Oct, 22 edition.

Excellent article, Mark! All good points made!

Backyard chickens in Abbotsford. Imagine the dent this will (not) make in the profits of our local egg producers! Interesting to note the concerns over avian flu, which apparently is the reasoning behind not allowing a backyard flock of four hens, has been debunked by the science community.

It makes a person wonder who is lobbying mayor and council over this issue to not allow them. Another concern is rodents and smell. This amuses me as recently a bylaw was passed to allow three dogs on residential property.

Think about the amount of excrement from three dogs, not to mention the smell from said excrement, and also the fact that said excrement also attracts rats. Yet this wasn’t a concern when amending this bylaw from two to three dogs?

Suddenly, the excrement from four of our feathered friends, which apparently the city of Abbotsford uses at their discretion, is a problem?

Mark’s comments regarding noise were right on.

Hens announcing the arrival of an egg with proud clucking usually happens in the morning, never late when a yapping dog wakes up the neighbourhood. I agree, there needs to be rules regarding no roosters and how many hens, etc.

Elaine Garry

Abbotsford