Backyard Chickens and their place in Haldimand

By Charlene Papasodaro

The Haldimand Press

HALDIMAND—When Zac Horkoff moved to Haldimand County from Hamilton two years ago, he planned on having a small chicken coop with three or four birds. He said, “One of the things that lured us into living in Haldimand County was the open spaces, farmers’ fields and nature.”

He never thought he wouldn’t be allowed to keep chickens on his property in Kohler. He was surprised to discover that chickens were only allowed on properties either zones agricultural or rural as per Haldimand County Bylaw No.1396/13, which his property is not.

As result of this discovery Horkoff started a petition for Council to allow small flocks of backyard chickens. He started the petition in October of 2018 just before the municipal election. Horkoff said the petition has seen an increase in support since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The petition had just under 300 signatures at press time. “People are looking to be self-sustainable in their food supply. It is also a great teaching tool to show children how eggs are produced.”