Famous poultry refugees roost in Hants

By Jennifer Hoegg

The Hants Journal/NovanewsNow.com

Three chickens evicted from their Halifax backyard have come to roost in Hants County for the rest of the winter. Chicken, Captain Crochet and Bernadette immigrated to the area Feb. 25, joining 35 hens and one rooster at Red Fox Co-op in Centre Burlington.

Red Fox Farm co-owner Jen Scott says the chickens are coping well. “They’re settling in. But now they’re at the bottom of the pecking order.” Although the chickens were initially a bit alarmed with the change -- and their first meeting with the resident rooster -- they enjoy human contact.

“They’re the friendliest,” Scott said. “When I go in, they come right up to me.”

Scott also operates Heliotrust, an organization dedicated to preserving agricultural land and knowledge. For her, the issue around backyard chickens is not just about yummy eggs and entertaining pets, but also about local food sustainability. “Food should be produced as close to home as possible to build a vibrant local food system and support local farmers.”

After their winter with Scott’s chickens, the famous hens will return to HRM in the spring to live at the Cole Harbour Farm Museum.

The one-year-old Rhode Island Red laying hens belong to Louise Hanavan and Michael Stroh in Halifax. When a neighbour’s complaint about the hens attracting rats provoked Halifax Regional Municipality to evict the birds under its land usage by-law, resulting in generation of a great deal of fuss and media interest.

Although chickens are unwelcome in Halifax, several large cities in the United States and Europe encourage backyard chickens. In fact, an entire website, The City Chicken, is dedicated to urban fowl.

Windsor and West Hants do not prohibit chickens in residential areas. As West Hants Warden Richard Dauphinee said, however, “we’re chicken-friendly here.”