General News

Mono council finalizes backyard chicken coop rules

January 29, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS

Mono residents can avail of licences to keep backyard chickens in town areas other than rural areas.

Allowing backyard chickens became an issue in February 2023 when a Mono resident asked that a coop be allowed in his backyard. He was told chickens weren’t allowed because his property was zoned as suburban residential.

Brampton, a much larger municipality, permits two hens per household. And Mississauga and nearby Orangeville had undertaken pilot projects to investigate the possibility of allowing four and three hens per household, respectively.

A survey of Mono residents last year garnered 59 responses, of which 10 were duplicate submissions. So there were 49 usable responses. That tally was well below the 344 considered the minimum for statistical validity.

Of the 49 responses, only 13 indicated they lived in properties zoned residential. Nineteen people said they were or might be interested in keeping backyard chickens. Thirty-five of the 49, or 71 per cent of respondents, indicated they had no concerns about keeping backyard chickens in residential zones.

Those who indicated concerns cited noise, odour, disease, predation, and animal welfare.

A penalty structure was completed for the bylaw’s third reading during council’s Jan. 13 meeting. Monetary fines are listed for eight types of infractions, ranging from $250 to $750.

Deputy Mayor Fred Nix said it was suggested when work began on a bylaw that a three-metre setback from the property line was tight.

“I don’t know what the right length (is),” he said.

He asked if a property owner finds that three metres between the property line and the structure is too restrictive, could an exception be made on a case-by-case basis, or would the bylaw need to be amended?

“The bylaw does not include any appeal mechanism whatsoever,” said Fred Simpson, the town’s clerk.

A chicken coop licence would be denied in such cases, he said.

Councillor Melinda Davie said council has to remember that this is a pilot project.

“I kind of think that we should just kind of go ahead with it as opposed to muddying it to allow an appeal at this stage,” she said.

Of the penalty structure, Coun. Elaine Capes said a $500 fine for the “slaughter of backyard chickens on property,” as the report to council states, is too light. She said that should merit a $750 fine, such as would be levied for obstructing or hindering a bylaw officer.

“Slaughtering on your property is not allowed and I think there has to be a heavier set fee for that,” Capes said.

Having gone through the trouble of getting a permit, why are they then murdering the fowl? Mayor John Creelman said.

Simpson said slaughtering on the property is a best practice recommendation. That’s why it is included in the draft bylaw.

Davie said the $500 fine for slaughtering the chickens on a Mono property is sufficient. The obstructing a bylaw officer offence should net the highest fine, she said.

Davie said a resident may be stuck with four chickens if the pilot project proves to be a “fiasco.” So what are they to do with the animals?

Davie said chickens can’t be given away because of the bird flu. She said residents could take their chickens to a nearby processing facility “for just a few bucks each.”

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