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The following transcript is protected under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License. Link to Audio and Episode Info Here
Show Transcript Deconstructing
Dinner Kootenay Co-op
Radio CJLY Nelson, B.C. Canada July 1, 2010 Title: Vancouver's Backyard Chickens II / Bucky Buckaw Producer/Host: Jon Steinman Transcript: Pat Yama Jon Steinman: And welcome to Deconstructing Dinner, produced
in Nelson, British Columbia at Kootenay Co-op Radio, CJLY. I'm Jon Steinman and
today marks our 180th episode of this
weekly radio show and podcast now into its 5th year. This show airs
on fifty stations throughout North America. As promised on our
June 17th episode, we'll be continuing today with our coverage of
the new bylaw in the City of Vancouver that now permits the raising of up to
four backyard chickens within City limits. While backyard poultry is a pretty
well-established practice around the world, there are many North American cities, especially here in Canada who have been engaging in
similar processes as Vancouver and considering rescinding what have long been prohibitions on the raising of chickens
within urban centres. On part 1 of
our coverage we heard how the City of Vancouver years ago supported the
creation of a Food Policy Council, later supported the adoption of a Food
Charter and both of which contributed to the many clips that we heard on that
show of City Councillors debating the issue and hearing statements from the
public. On today's part 2, we'll continue looking back on those public comments
including statements that were made in opposition
to the proposed bylaw change from the Vancouver Humane Society and the BC
SPCA, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Among other voices
we'll also listen to the City of Vancouver's policy analyst Lily Ford who
presented to Vancouver's City Councillors and the Mayor back in April. Ford
presented the recommended guidelines that the City has now since adopted. And as we so
often do here on the show whenever backyard chickens are a focus, we'll hear
once again from Bucky Buckaw and his backyard chicken
broadcast. increase music and fade out Before we
descend into Vancouver and continue our coverage of the City's new backyard
chicken bylaw and the process they underwent to get there, we'll hear again
from Bucky Buckaw and his Backyard Chicken broadcast.
Produced in New York City, Bucky got his start producing his short radio
segments on backyard chickening as part of the Sagebrush Variety Show at Boise
Community Radio in Boise, Idaho. His latest segment was inspired by
Deconstructing Dinner's October 2009 episode featuring New York chef Dan
Barber. The segment is titled "Why I Eat Chicken." Bucky Buckaw - Why I
Eat Chicken BB show theme This is Bucky Buckaw with The Backyard Chicken broadcast. People often
ask me if I eat chicken. They don't know what answer to expect, I guess because
I'm a little coy about the topic on the broadcast. I don't talk about it often
because I'm not interested in being in the position of calling myself a moral
authority. I do believe there are right choices to make about food having to do
with aesthetics, heath, and ethics. And I also believe most of those choices
are applicable to most and maybe even all folks especially since food choices
potentially deplete, pollute or imbalance our shared resources. Still I believe
diet is ultimately a personal decision. I just urge others to make it a well-informed
personal decision. Many listeners
may think I may be a vegetarian because I talk about how chickens provide eggs
and improve vegetable gardens but I rarely bring up meat. And
because I often talk about how adorable chickens are. However I'm not a
vegetarian, anymore. I've been a vegetarian almost half my life and was a vegan
for a decade. Now, I do eat meat. I try as much as I can to eat locally, organically, naturally, humanely-raised food and indeed my
rules are more complicated than they were when I was a vegetarian or a vegan.
On the other hand, I should probably call them guidelines rather than rules
because I have to admit, I'll often change or bend them. In a lot of ways, it
was easier to be vegetarian. I use to think and still sometimes do that
self-proclaimed omnivores have a tendency to rationalize what they feel like
eating which is not always the wrong approach to ethics but obviously makes it
a lot more difficult to claim dispassionate or objective thinking, if you
believe such things exist. But eventually,
I started to believe some of those rationalizations or whatever they were, myself. On the one hand I heard all the arguments about
corporate organic veggies and soy, displacing habitats in some of the ways
animal agriculture does, even causing pollution. That too much soy or grapeseed oil or agave nectar can be as bad for you as high
cholesterol meats and cheeses. And I started thinking more about what's
possible in local and seasonal eating. At the same time I started seeing more
and more meat making apparently credible claims to raising animals for
slaughter under conditions that were not so objectionable. After all, I had
stopped being literally vegan for years making the exception of only eating
eggs laid by the spoiled hens living in my own backyard. Later, after I'd been
an omnivore for quite awhile, an episode of one of my favourite broadcasts of
all time, syndicated food policy show Deconstructing Dinner, had a big
influence on my thinking - not the first time the show had impacted my thinking
and one of the reasons I'm so proud to be featured on it from time to time. In October '09
the Conscientious Cook's episode
featured Dan Barber of Blue Hills visit to a French farm in natural foie gras producer. Hearing that
the farmers methods of making foie
gras were the opposite of every objectionable
practice that makes foie gras
so controversial was impressive to me. But even more impressive was to hear
that the foie gras was
winning awards to the consternation of traditional producers and that the
farmer insisted that this was the way to do it. No force feeding but providing
the kind of goose buffet that inspired them to pig out of their own accord. But
what really sent me over the top was the revelation that wild geese flying
overhead came to stay and bred with his domesticated flock. That's how he
maintained population and genetic diversity. It made me
reflect on a deeper level about my own chickens and other small-scale livestock
I'd met. And the trade-off struck between domesticated animals and humans who
do our utmost to anticipate their every need ultimately friends that principled
animal rights folks would characterize as exploitation. I was never inclined to
agree with those folks, yet I was not quite sure if the burden of proof was on
me to show the animals were getting a good deal if my perspective could truly
pass muster. My animals seemed happy, quite happy.
They made little effort to leave and ultimately always came home to roost. But
still, they really didn't have a choice in the matter. They were born into
domestication. But the wild geese in that episode illustrated that animals do
make that choice. And furthermore, the show referred, for detail to a book by
Stephen Budiansky, an author, historian, and
journalist. Budiansky has written books about
military and intelligence, history, science, and the natural world and is also
a unique voice among the emerging category of animal writers. I encourage my
listeners to explore his work. The crux of "The Covenant of the Wild: Why Animals
Choose Domestication" is not previously unheard of or difficult to follow. In
it, he thoroughly and entertainingly documents the history of animal
domestication as a process that provides advantages to both humans and animals.
Certain animals actually chose domestication, preferring the reliable comfort
of captivity to the dangers of feral life. It points out that domesticated
animals do not face extinction. What I like the least about the book is his
references to so-called animal rights extremists. Although he does not
generalize, there is a tone to the book that some anti-vegetarians and militant
carnivores have latched onto. Ultimately, it's clear that Budiansky
is an animal lover and I guess I wish he could help break the cycle of
contention between those who think animals deserve no consideration at all and
those of you who see oppression in everything from redundant animal testing to
puppy mills, to backyard coops. At one point he even seems to argue that
factory farms might be more comfortable than jungle life. Yet it rings
rhetorical as if he's obliged himself to follow his own logic to an extreme he
might not sincerely believe. On the other hand I was intrigued with his
descriptions of how humans have changed significantly as a result of animal
domestication, both culturally and physically, implying the question - who
domesticated who? But don't get
me wrong. It's not exactly case closed, problem solved. Truthfully, my personal
agricultural explorations stop short of the homesteading practices I admire. I
don't know if I'd have the heart to slaughter chickens by my own hand. And I
still feel a hypocrite for leaving that responsibility to others. It fascinates
me when small-scale farmers and homesteaders who do slaughter animals talk
openly about the heartbreak of the process but are resolved to the fact that
it's also part of the big picture. There are folks like the '60s back to earth
pioneers - Helen and Scott Nearing, who managed a homestead without ever eating
animal products. Yet most people who feed themselves argue very convincingly
from personal experience that for humans to eat, something else has to die,
either from loss of habitat, from being hunted, or from being coddled up to the
day of slaughter. Eating is about survival yet we can and should do it with
style, joy, and ethics. Not necessarily in that order. When the Bucky Buckaw agenda hits the plate, it's less about what's there
but how it got there. And not just the means of production
but also about making personal food decisions. And where I think my
personal experience is relevant to others is that for me, struggling with the
question of what to eat doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the meal but in
fact enhances it. Just as the effort of growing your own
veggies or raising chickens makes your meal taste better than if you just
popped into the grocery on your way home. This has been
Bucky Buckaw. I had a good time. BB show theme Bucky
Buckaw's Backyard Chicken broadcast that's produced
by the Sagebrush Variety Show with the support of Boise Community Radio and
Green Institute. Jon Steinman: This is Deconstructing Dinner. We'll hear from
Bucky again at the end of today's show when he'll share the many uses of eggshells. But until then, part II of
our coverage on the City of Vancouver's new bylaw that now permits the raising
of up to four hens per household. We've been reflecting on the process that the
city went through to finally arrive at the decision and we can begin where we
last left off, in March 2009 when the City's Planning and Environment Committee
heard from the public on the motion that Councillor Andrea Reimer had
introduced that called for the City's prohibitive bylaw on backyard chickens to
be repealed. Speaking in opposition to the motion at that meeting was Leanne McConnachie, the Director of Farm Animal Programs at the
Vancouver Humane Society. March 2009 Council Meeting Leanne McConnachie: The
Vancouver's Humane Society "chicken out" program aims to phase out battery
cages for egg-laying hens by encouraging those who buy eggs to purchase only
free-range eggs from audited and certified farms. We've worked for the
universities, businesses, and government municipalities such as the Vancouver
City Council and most recently Metro Vancouver Regional District to adopt
policies, purchasing policies that favour cage-free eggs. So we thank you for
your support on these initiatives. And we also commend Councillors Reimer and
Deal for bringing forward a motion that gets chickens out of cages and brings
with it numerous environmental benefits. In an ideal
world where all humans are responsible for the animals under their care, the
motion to allow backyard chickens would be acceptable. And I'm sure that the
people here today, who have the situations that they have are like Club Med and
I wish everybody was like them. And they have the scientific background as well
to provide the proper care. However, as the Vancouver Humane Society's main
concern is the welfare of animals, we are speaking in opposition to this
motion. It is our experience that even the best-intentioned people sometimes
fail to have the financial resources, the temperament, or even the permanency
in their housing situation to properly care for their animals. Every day we are
reminded of cases of abuse, neglect and irresponsibility towards domestic farm
and exotic animals despite the availability of training services and humane
education programs and despite laws and enforcement procedures to protect those
animals. Although the motion is proposing policy guidelines to ensure humane
treatment of hens, if interest becomes widespread and I do underline
widespread, how will the City ever be able to hire the resources necessary to
check up on potentially hundreds of urban backyard operations to see if people
are following the regulations. And having said
all this I think the important question to ask ourselves is why this motion is
before Council in the first place and other municipal councils as well. We
believe that the reason is that people are concerned with the health and safety
of our food supply. The mistreatment of animals from factory farms and the
environmental degradation that industrialized agriculture can cause. Citizens
are therefore turning to ideas such as keeping their own food producing animals
to guarantee for themselves the food they eat comes from healthy and happy
animals. There's no question that we need to phase out practices like battery
cage operations that are detrimental to the well-being of the animals and to
the environment. But allowing everyone to become backyard poultry farmers is
not the answer for creating greener, local and humanely produced food. We believe our
strategy with Chicken-Out, to encourage demand for consumers and businesses for certified cage-free eggs in order to influence
supply and thus influence production methods is the correct approach.
Egg farming should be left for those certified professionals who have proven
that they know how to best care for their flocks. With increasing demand for
certified egg products, industry and provincial and federal governments will be
forced to respond and provide the proper management and oversight our food
system requires. We are therefore asking Council not to approve this motion. If
however, what Council seeks is more locally, environmentally friendly cage-free
production of eggs, we would suggest Council seek improvements to available
farm land in the City and improvements to B.C.'s egg supply management scheme.
We urge Council therefore to contact the authorities in the B.C. Ministry of
Agriculture and Lands, Farm Industry Review Board and B.C. Egg Marketing Board
to ensure the public's interest is being met. Jon Steinman: The Vancouver Humane Society's, Leanne McConnachie speaking to Vancouver's Planning and
Environment Committee in March 2009. Also speaking in opposition to what at
that time was the proposed change to
Vancouver's prohibition of backyard chickens was Shawn Eckles,
the Chief Animal Protection Officer for the BC Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals, the SPCA. Shawn Eckles: BC SPCA echoes
the comments of the Vancouver Humane Society as well. We're speaking against
the proposal before the Council for a variety of reasons. Certainly these first
two speakers that came forward today are probably what we have considered to be
model citizens and model hen owners. They're not the sorts of individuals that
the SPCA officers see in the regular day-to-day operation of the Society. We'll
probably never meet with them other than in something like today's meeting. Some
of the considerations that we're concerned about and the reasons that we are
opposed to the issue that's been brought forward are the care of the animals -
who is actually going to have the experience, knowledge and expertise with
respect to the care of raising poultry. There is significant
issues with respect to the welfare of these animals. It's not just a
matter of putting them in cages and providing them feed and water. We're going
to ensure that the five freedom is being met and five
freedoms are freedoms that have been recognized globally with respect to
animals in our care. There's a
significant concern with respect to predation and the second speaker referred
to neighbour's actually throwing dogs into yards. There's
some significant concerns with respect to the increase in predation. Certainly
the City of Vancouver currently has some significant issues with respect to
coyotes, racoons and skunks. This could potentially increase the level of
predation upon those hens. There's certainly an opportunity for an increase in
species interaction - dogs and hens. I'm not speaking for Animal Control and I
don't work with Animal Control so I don't know what your level of dog attacks
are in the City of Vancouver but certainly this would be potentially an increase
for issues with respect to dog attacks and perhaps an increased level of
vicious or dangerous dogs within the City of Vancouver. The issue of
euthanasia is of significant concern to the BC SPCA. There are currently - I'm
not aware of any veterinarians within the City of Vancouver that are currently
poultry veterinarians, probably because of the fact that poultry are not raised
within the City of Vancouver. Most of the poultry veterinarians will be in the
valley. So there's a concern with respect to where those animal owners are
going to be obtaining veterinary care for those animals. Certainly we see
issues in some communities that we operate within throughout British Columbia.
The District of Powell River has no livestock veterinarians in their community.
The veterinary visits once a month and we see significant levels of animal
abuse and neglect within the District of Powell River with regards to farm
animals. Jon Steinman: This is Deconstructing Dinner. That was Shawn Eckles of the BC SPCA speaking in March 2009 to the City of
Vancouver's Planning and Environment Committee. Today's episode marks part 2 of
our coverage of the City of Vancouver's new backyard chicken bylaw, which, in
June of 2010 was officially adopted despite the opposition to the proposed
change that we just heard. Deconstructing Dinner has maintained an ongoing
urban agriculture series here on the show with a focus on backyard chickens and
as part of this latest focus on the City of Vancouver, we've been reflecting on
the process that the City went through to eventually permit chickens within the
City. On our June 17th 2010 episode, we did also hear a number of proponents speak in favour of allowing
backyard chickens in Vancouver. And another one of those proponents who we did not hear from was an agroecology
student from the University of British Columbia. The student spoke about a
recurring concern among many city councils. June 17th 2010 Council Meeting Jordon: My name is Jordon. I'm an agroecology
student which means sustainable agriculture at UBC. I'm in third year and I
live in Southlands which is near UBC. We currently have 18 chickens and I spent
the last five months or so researching urban chickens in Vancouver and I've
been compiling a report called "A Beginner's Guide to Urban Chicken-Keeping in
Vancouver." I feel like keeping chickens in Vancouver is a viable option as is
demonstrated by New York, Victoria, and Portland and many other cities in the
U.S. But there are some issues of concerns which I've addressed in my report. But
all these concerns can be addressed in the amended bylaw and aren't an issue at
this meeting. As Mr. Seto, Andrea Reimer and Shawn Eckles discussed earlier, one of the primary concerns is
what to do with chickens at the end of their productive life. So a chicken
will typically live for fifteen years if it's well cared for, but they're only
productive laying eggs for two or three years. So what do we do with chickens
at the end of that time. Some who grew up on a farm
would say just chop it's head off but as some people
mentioned, that's a concern. Neighbours don't want that happening in the
backyard. So there's four options besides backyard slaughter to do with
your chickens. You can have then euthanized at the vet and I just want to echo
what Leanne McConnachie said - she said that we don't
have sufficient poultry vets in Vancouver. And actually I have a list here of
five or six vets that I've talked to that have said that they do take poultry.
And also I've had chickens for twenty years and I've hardly ever taken the
chickens to the vet. Another option besides slaughter is you can send them to a
retirement home. There's one in Salt Spring where they can live out their life.
You can keep them as a pet which most people will probably choose to do or you
can take them to a local abattoir to have them slaughtered and use its meat.
And our local abattoir is in Langley. Jon Steinman: A reminder that today's episode is archived
on-line at deconstructingdinner.ca and posted under the July 1st,
2010 broadcast. Links to more resources on today's topic can be found there
including links to unedited video streaming of some of the committee meetings
that we're hearing clips from today. Rounding off that March 2009 meeting was
Councillor Andrea Reimer who had introduced the motion to permit backyard
chickens in Vancouver and she shared these final observations. Council Meeting - March 2009 Andrea Reimer: You know I have to say that when I first
brought this motion forward or considered bringing it forward, it was primarily
as a - I think backyard hens are important but - we removed bee control bylaw a
few years back, about five years ago now - and we haven't seen thousands of
people picking up the mantle of beehive keeping and I guess I suspected with
hens it would be similar but that we would remove the barriers to those that
want it removed but that it's not going to create a mass movement. So imagine
my surprise in wanting to support a citizen who had written a letter and the
Food Policy Council and other twenty odd citizens who had taken the time to do
the research to bring forward what I thought was a rather modest proposal that
has turned into something of a raging chicken debate. And I don't mean to
trivialize peoples' concerns because they're quite serious concerns. If we move
forward with this, we are about to embark on a situation of writing guidelines
that are far more stringent than those that we have for dogs, which are
predators and predators living amongst prey - humans, children. So I'm happy to
see the level of rigour with which people have approached this and I think
we'll have the benefit of places that have done this already. To that end,
change is challenging. To find out today that we had emus, ostriches,
parakeets, pigeons, various things living amongst us - apparently being buried
in our backyards. We have wild birds that are much more likely to come into
contact with avian flu by virtue of the fact that they fly back and forth
between the Valley and the City and yet we have no policies, regulations, or
guidelines for monitoring that. And yet we're pretty freaked out about the idea
of two or three hens living in our backyards - tells me about the work we need
to do on things like the Greenest City Action Team and various other
initiatives that we have. So I'm still pleased to forward the motion. I do hope
that people will support. I did check in with Mayor Corrigan and Burnaby has
not been bankrupted yet by enforcing the bylaw's related to chickens in the
city. I was just there the other day to check out some hens in backyards and
the street was not clogged with racoons and coyotes or anything of the like so
I think with proper guidelines we can make this work for everyone. Jon Steinman: From that point forward, it was agreed that City
staff would draw up a set of guidelines that would become the city's new
backyard chicken bylaw. That subsequent report which is linked to on the
Deconstructing Dinner website was presented to that same committee one year
later in April 2010. Presenting the recommendations to the City's Planning and
Environment Committee was Lily Ford a Policy Analyst with the City's license
office. April 2010 Recommendations Lily Ford: In a little over a year ago, Council approved a resolution
asking that the prohibition on hens that is currently in the Animal Control
bylaw be lifted and also directing staff to come up with guidelines for the
keeping of backyard hens that would ensure humane treatment of hens and also
protect public health and safety. And the resolution was in keeping with the
Vancouver Food Charter that was adopted in 2007 which outlines the City's
commitment to just and sustainable food system. So, since the
March 2009 resolution, we have researched practices in other cities that allow
keeping of the chickens in which it generally had positive experiences. We've
researched best management practices recommended by government agencies,
co-operative extensions and other poultry authorities and we've consulted with
and incorporated the suggestions - many of the suggestions of a number of
interested parties that are listed up there. Our working document during
consultation was a set of draft guidelines which Council received in September.
And in October we asked interested parties to comment on the draft guidelines
and we got a generally positive response, both in meetings and in written
correspondence. So this chart just shows the level of support in written
correspondence. This is not to say that there is this level of support in
general for the proposal but just that those who were involved in the process
early on were reasonably happy with the guidelines. So in doing our
research and consultation, we identified a number of public health and humane
issues which are summarized in this table. And as we came up with solutions to
address these issues, we found that some suggestions for regulations raised red
flags and that people wanted to be able to keep chickens without a lot of red
tape. So in essence I added a third mandate that we not only allow the keeping
of backyard hens but that we make the process for doing so relatively
uncomplicated. So our recommendations has really been
shaped by dynamics between these three mandates. And in some cases the dynamics
have been complementary, for instance in prohibiting backyard slaughtering.
That addresses concerns from both a public health and a humane perspective. But
in other cases the mandates have been conflicting. For instance the requirement
that we're recommending to keep hens enclosed is an important safeguard against
the spread of avian flu but from a humane perspective free-ranging is
preferred. In such cases, the public health concerns take a priority but we
have tried to mitigate the humane impact by requiring in this case adequate
space within the hen enclosures. Jon Steinman: Lily Ford of the City of Vancouver. The
recommendation that all backyard hens be kept within enclosures did not sit
well with some Vancouver residents, a sentiment that was expressed at the
subsequent public hearing that took place in May, when it was suggested that
the enclosure requirement be revisited next year to potentially open up for the
option of more free-ranging backyard hens. Another concern
that Ford helped address was in response to what a number of councillors had
viewed as a significant threat - avian flu. Despite many authorities on the
matter insisting that disease transfer among urban chickens is a very minimal concern, some of the recommended
guidelines presented to council back
in April address the possibility. April 2010 Recommendations Lily Ford: So I want to do a quick review of the animal control
provisions that we're recommending, starting with the most basic
recommendation. We're recommending a maximum four hens per lot. Four laying
hens produce about 20 eggs per week, enough for an average family and is a
small enough flock that nuisance and abuse issues are minimized. We are also
recommending that roosters and chicks not be allowed. Roosters
for the obvious noise reasons and chicks for humane reasons. We want to
prevent the impulse buying of cute fuzzy chicks that often are abandoned once
they become more demanding hens or roosters as the case may be. And that's the
second reason for prohibiting chicks. Many supposedly female chicks turn out to
be hundred decibel roosters. We're also recommending no commercial use of the
eggs or other products and no backyard slaughtering. We've also included a basic care requirements sufficient to maintain the hens in
good health and measures to ensure that pest and predation don't become a problem.
And we've also included manure management recommendations to control odour and
issues. Under the animal by-law we also have some housing requirements, both
space requirements and features that will allow the hens to live a reasonably
healthy and happy life in their enclosures. Other housing
provisions and these are in the zoning amendments include a maximum height to
reduce potential visual impact and a maximum floor area which will allow
enclosures to be built without a development permit - without going through
that process. There's also a model called a chicken tractor with a coop up top
and an enclosure on the bottom and this is really a space saving model. And it
also can be moved in your yard to give the chickens
fresh pasture that can reduce overgrazing. So zoning,
we're recommending that chickens be allowed to be kept in all single and
multi-family residential zones. We're recommending that they not be allowed in
front yards. They would be allowed in side yards but on most lots there
wouldn't be enough room given the other setbacks that we're recommending. The
one exception is on corner lots and we have special recommendation for those
that would allow them in the side yards and to have a reduced side setback. Jon Steinman: This is Deconstructing Dinner produced at
Nelson, British Columbia's Kootenay Co-op Radio. I'm Jon Steinman and today's
episode is part of our ongoing Farming
in the City series here on the show, with today's focus being on the
City of Vancouver, where on June 8th it became official that
backyard chickens can now be raised within City limits. We first began
exploring this as part of our June 17th broadcast and as we continue
to this part 2 of that coverage, we've been reflecting on the process that the City went through to get
to this point - a process that would likely be of interest to the many cities
throughout North America who are too considering repealing their own prohibitive backyard chicken bylaws. We've just been
listening in on the City of Vancouver's Lily Ford who among a number of City
staff helped compiled the recommendations that were presented to City Council
in April 2010. Another of the recommendations was the establishment of an
online registration system where resources on raising backyard hens would also
become available. April 2010 Recommendations Lily Ford: Another major feature of our recommendations is the registry
for people who own hens. It would be available online or by phone and it would
be mandatory but there would be registration fees under our recommendation. And
it would also be loaded with a bunch of educational resources on keeping
chickens which would be on required screens on online registry and would be
sent out to individuals who register by phone. So why a
registry. Well the purpose of the registry is really three-fold. It
would provide information to help authorities in the unlikely event that there
was a disease outbreak. It's a form for providing educational resources to hen
keepers, including information on chicken keeping workshops. And it also would
provide a snapshot of hen keeping in the city so that we have a good idea on
how and where hen keeping is working in the City. Jon Steinman: And the last segment we'll listen in on of Lily
Ford presenting the recommended backyard chicken guidelines for the City of
Vancouver involves enforcement and what became somewhat of a contentious issue
for some Councillors - the recommended $20,000 capital expense to develop an
area of the City's animal shelter for chickens. April 2010 Recommendations Lily Ford: Most of the regulations would be enforced by Animal Control
and they would enforced on a complaint basis. And the
existing penalties and procedures for other animals that are in the Animal
Control bylaw would apply. Animal Control's staff do
anticipate that there will be an increase in chickens that end up at their
shelter and for that reason we requested that funds in the existing communities
services capital budget be allocated to constructing closures at the animal
shelter for hens. The price tag might seem high but the cost reflects
constraints at the shelter's site. There's space considerations, there
electrical issues and the necessity of keeping hens in separate enclosures for
health reasons. There are lower cost options but they would essentially entail
putting the chickens in cages in the dog areas which raises some humane issues
and would result in them being euthanized. So you're within a matter of days
rather than possibly up to a month otherwise. I just want to emphasize that housing
stray animals is a widely-accepted purpose of any municipal animal shelter, so
the idea of providing facilities for chickens is not really a new fangled idea.
It's really just responsible planning for a very real prospect that are seeing a lot more of these animals at the shelter. Jon Steinman: Lily Ford, a Policy Analyst with the City of
Vancouver's license office. Following that April 2010 presentation to the City Council's Planning and
Environment Committee, two Councillors did vocally oppose that $20,000 capital expenditure for a chicken shelter and
one Councillor, Suzanne Anton opposed everything. Anton believes that the City
is becoming too involved in urban food production and that food production
should be left to the Ministry of Agriculture. Council Meeting Chair: There are a few questions that I've left to Councillor Deal
who has been waiting patiently up in the queue. Councillor Deal: That's quite alright. I'm very pleased to move
these recommendations. I was thinking of adding in something about a memo on
the advisability fees but perhaps we can revisit that after we've had this is
place for a bit to see if that looks like an advisable thing after we've seen
how it sort of sorts itself out. And I want to
thank staff and the Food Policy Council and everyone else who's come out today
for helping us find a balance of both enabling and ensuring that public health
issues and the nuisance issues and the humane treatment of the animal issues
are addressed in the reports. I think it's quite thorough. I think it addresses
all of those things very well and I would be pleased to move that we send the
parts of it that we need to, to public hearing. So with that I would move A
through D. Chair:
Thank you Councillor Deal. So we have a motion on the floor - Councillor
Cadman. Councillor Cadman: I would ask that B3 be separated. I'm prepared
to support all the other recommendations. I am not prepared to support the City
of Vancouver getting into the business of housing abandoned or seized hens. I
just think that that is a Pandora's Box if we open it. It will grow and grow
and grow and I can see a flood of people who think it's a good idea to have
chickens and then maybe not such a good idea and want to drop them off and have
somebody else deal with the problem. I think we've got to be clear from the
get-go that that's not going to be our responsibility. Chair:
Thank you Councillor Cadman. Councillor Anton. Councillor Anton: Thank you Madam Chair. Well I agree with
Councillor Cadman's sentiment which is that the City is taking on way to much
responsibility here. There are chickens now and I think the cardinal rule right
now is you can have chickens if you don't bother your neighbours. That's a
pretty good rule because the only way the Bylaw officer goes and looks at your
chickens right now is if they are bothering the neighbours. And I think this is
way too complicated, I think it's unnecessarily complicated and it's making the
City become the Ministry of Agriculture for chickens. And of all the important
things we've got to do in the City, that's not one of them. I think it almost
trivializes our role in the world and of all the important things that we have
in the City, to take on registration of chickens, I just can't support it. I
think the shelter's a waste of money, I think the registry is a waste of money
and I think that in fact disallowing people to have chickens so they don't bug
their neighbours which is what happens right now, is probably the best way to
go. So I'm not going to support any of this motion, Madame Chair. Jon Steinman: After that April meeting, a public hearing was held in May following which the
recommendations were adopted and have since become the City's new Backyard
Chicken bylaw. We've posted a number of links to resources on Vancouver's new
bylaw for anyone either living within the City or from other cities throughout
North America who are currently, as we are here in the hometown of
Deconstructing Dinner living in a City that prohibits
the raising of backyard chickens. Those links are again on our website at
deconstructingdinner.ca and our July 1st 2010 broadcast. You'll also
find links to previous episodes of this Farming
in the City series, many of which include the familiar Bucky Buckaw and his Backyard Chicken broadcast. We heard a
segment of Bucky at the top of the hour and we'll help round off today's show
with yet another, this one being a useful segment for backyard chickeners but almost equally of use to anyone who eats
good quality farm fresh eggs. Here again, is
Bucky Buckaw. Bucky Buckaw Broadcast theme song This is Bucky Buckaw with the Backyard Chicken broadcast. I've discussed
eggs many times on the Backyard Chicken broadcast. It's amazing that I haven't
exhausted the topic, but there really is more to say. Stay
with me. Well I'm always quick to remind folks that the Backyard
Chickens provide pro bono non-toxic pest and weed control and that their poop
is a miraculous transformation of said pests plus garden and kitchen scraps
into manure pellets that are perhaps worth their weight in gold as a soil
nutrient or compost pile accelerator. And, that their companionship is
priceless. Still, there's no doubt the yard fresh egg is the crown jewel of all
the rewards reaped from keeping small flocks of chickens. Hens, free-ranging in
a decent sized yard in any town in North America with access to sun and shade,
water, grass, weeds, bugs, and whatever kitchen scraps or commercial organic
feed is necessary to ensure a complete diet will lay eggs that are at least
twice as delicious by most reviews and approximately, twice as nutritious
according to many studies, as any grocery store egg. Even the
grocery store eggs that make claims to organic diets and free-range practices
and such. Yet many people, including many chickeners,
are so excited by the flavour and nutrition inside an egg that they overlook
the tremendous value in the eggshell. It's a case of the wrapper being as
useful as the gift. Or the childhood wishes that you can even eat the dishes.
Or that old saw, waste not want not. First of all,
hens need to replenish all the calcium they use to lay eggs and one way to
ensure that happens is to recycle their own eggshells back into their feed.
It's very important to thoroughly crush them to increase calcium absorption.
But even more, to avoid creating an association between eggs and feed which as
discussed on previous broadcasts, can lead to chickens who eat their own or
other hen's eggs before you can get to them. It's important to make sure that
this is not the only way your hens get calcium. Be sure to feed them plenty of
leafy greens which contain calcium and make sure they have access to sunlight
which helps to maintain Vitamin D levels which is necessary for calcium
absorption. You should not
be expecting your hens to re-consume the shell equivalent of every egg they lay
which is also important because there are so many other uses for the shells.
One thing I noticed old-timers doing when I was growing up was throwing
eggshells in the blender along with other ingredients for blended drinks. I
thought that was pretty strange way back. But I've since learned that eggshells
are an excellent way to supplement one's calcium intake because it's a
particularly easy form of calcium to digest and because they contain trace
amounts of other minerals. But of course the eggshell must be laid by a hen
that is herself absorbing a proper nutrient mix and no undesired extras such as
pesticides or antibiotics - in other words, a backyard chicken eggshell. Half an
eggshell a day would be well above the minimum daily requirement of calcium for
most humans especially since there is calcium in so many other foods, including
as I said, leafy greens. Now if you're eating leafy greens from your own
garden, you certainly want to make sure that they are getting enough calcium.
All plants should be growing in soil that contains calcium. So eggshells that
you're not eating are very beneficial to any pile of compost that will
eventually be worked into your vegetable beds. But you may not want to wait for
compost. Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant benefit from being planted in holes
seeded with ground eggshells. These crops are susceptible to blossom end rot
which is caused by calcium deficiency. This deficiency is usually caused by
improper watering but there's no harm in making sure your plants have a steady
source of calcium. Some people even plant their 'starts' in unground,
half shells. They too will break down as the plant grows. Then you won't have
to deal with those annoying little plastic starters. At the same time, crushed
eggshells around the perimeter of a plant will deter slugs, snails and cutworms
from eating your growing vegetables. The slimier bugs can't risk crawling over
jagged materials, like eggshells. Of course if
you're chickening, your pest population should already be low but keep in mind
not all chickens are crazy for all bugs. Well I've never seen or heard of a
chicken that won't eat an earwig. I could never convince the original Buckaw flock to develop a taste for slugs. On the other hand,
a friend had a flock that were simply frenzied over slugs, even over huge,
slimy tiger slugs. Maybe even especially for huge, slimy tiger slugs. Gotta tell you it was disgusting to watch even though my
sustainable gardening brain approved. Yet that flock wasn't interested in
snails. Perhaps they were intimidated by the shells which is a shame because
that would be another good source of calcium. At any rate, an extra barrier
around your seedlings can't hurt your garden especially since your seedlings should
be fenced off from your chickens who might or might
not eat slugs or snails but may also, eat your seedlings. Another trick I
learned from the old timers is to add eggshells to brewing coffee beans to
improve flavour. This trick was very popular during the Depression when the
coffee folks could get their hands on was not always high quality. The calcium
compounds in the shells neutralize bitter acids. Now-a-days I happen to like a
high quality bean that has a trace of a little bit of bitterness. But sometimes
I get a batch of beans that are simply too much. Either way, most people will
rave about coffee made with eggshell trick. Coffee grounds
are also excellent for the garden or compost pile because of their nitrogen
content. So this use of eggshells is not mutually exclusive with the uses I've
already mentioned. I always set aside some shells that are not destined for the
garden but will still be quite useful. For instance, if I'm washing the dishes
and have trouble getting access to the inside of a thermos or an inconveniently
shaped vase or one of those damned stainless steel water bottles I have a
love-hate relationship with, I simply shake crushed eggshells and a little
soapy water in them to scour them good. It works all right. While I'm at it I
can use the eggshells for tough spots on pots and pans. When I'm done, I let
the shells sit in my kitchen sink strainer at all times. There, they help the
straining action but most importantly, they naturally clean my pipes as they
break down and their minerals seep down the drain. Finally,
eggshells have some health and beauty applications. I've been surprised to
learn that a lot of my listeners think I'm some kind of tough guy who doesn't
care about my skin care regiment. But on the contrary, I guess you could say
I'm a little bit of a dandy. After all, I'm an urban agriculturalist which is
not entirely unrelated to metrosexual. And above all,
I'm about having a good time which means I want to look as good as I feel. At
any rate, here's my two tips for my friends who spend
a lot of time with their hands in the dirt and with their face in the wind and
need some recovery. First of all dissolve an eggshell in a small jar of apple
cider vinegar. Be patient, it's going to take a couple of days. And use the resulting
poultice to treat minor skin irritations and itchy skin. Secondly, pulverize
dried eggshells with a mortar and peso, then whisk the powder in with an egg
white and use for a healthy, skin tightening facial. Allow the face mask to dry
before rinsing it off. You'll look all shiny and swell. So for looking
good and feeling good, for eating good and not wasting
nothing, this has been Bucky Buckaw. I had a good
time. BB theme song Bucky Buckaw's Backyard Chicken broadcast was produced by the
Sagebrush Variety Show with the support of Boise Community Radio and Green
Institute. Jon Steinman: This is Deconstructing Dinner. And that was
Bucky Buckaw and his Backyard Chicken broadcast.
We're approaching the end of yet another edition of our Farming in the City series, and to close out the show today,
here is a collage of eggy audio including a classic
tune from the late Dean Martin. Fox News Alert jingle and messages "These people
are planning our destruction." "The evidence
is overwhelming." "These people
are simply demons." "We're just not
smart enough to realize what's going to happen." Show Host: We're going to my favourite guest to Chicago where right
now the City Council is considering, get this, a ban
on pet chickens. Now believe it or not, more and more health nuts are keeping
them for their organic eggs. That is leading to more and more noise and health
complaints because the chickens just run around and scream. So MeMe Roth reports. Meme is the President of Natural Action Against Obesity. Show Host: Cripes, this is weird. MeMe: I have to say I don't own my own
chickens but what do you think is in this? Show Host: I would guess, question mark. MeMe: Well I think that's what people are
concerned about. Nobody knows what's in their food anymore. And what people are
doing is they're taking personal responsibility. They're getting their own
hens, couple in the backyard and having them lay their own eggs. Show Host: We're not a third world country. We've got these chickens
running around and you know the next door neighbour's saying - Charlie just
cool it. I want to go to sleep. MeMe: Well roosters are a problem no matter
what your pet is I have to agree the nuisance factor has to be kept to a
minimum. But these are people who are concerned about synthetic hormones in the
food ... Show Host: But you can buy this stuff at a store. MeMe: But, not everybody wants to pay the
price of organic. Show Host: So they're raising their chickens at home and you'd be for
that? MeMe: I'm not opposed to it. I think if
people want to take personal responsibility, this is Fox News, we're all about
that. Show Host: No I'm not about no personal responsibility. Let me ask you
this. Do you find it a little weird that, in order to push organic, now we're
foisting on people the idea, any way you can eat clean meat good - even if it's
ticks the heck out of your neighbours, do it. MeMe: Well I think
that we do need to pressure people to take care of themselves. Once you're an
adult, go for it. Abuse your body any way you want to but have a bank account
to pay the consequences of it. Don't make me pay it in higher health insurance
premiums. But we don't have the right ... Show Host: You mean to tell me, you are one of the smartest women I
know, that if you were next door to some guy who had, you know, a third world
swat of chickens running around the front yard, and you're just saying - ah,
yeah, the chickens look great today, you'd be for it? I'm not debating it. You
can eat whatever you want. I'm just saying, just cool it on foisting this stuff
on me if I'm your neighbour and now you've got you know a farm going on next to
me and I just thought I moved into a community that was going to be quiet. MeMe: Well as long as people are careful of
noise ordinances and any health concerns, yes the bird flu ... Show Host: The chickens are not quiet. Chickens are not quiet. MeMe: Hens are quiet. Show Host: I worked a summer on a farm, you
know they're not quiet. MeMe: This is so
disappointing. Show Host: And by the end of the summer I'd eat them all. MeMe: So you said
they were screaming, they were screaming because you were chasing them. Show Host: They were screaming to get away from me. Fox News jingle Egg Ad For thousands
of years, the world's been fascinated by it. The egg has been used for magic,
for rituals, and even for fortune telling. It's been painted, dyed, decorated.
It's been a prize gift of kings and commoners alike. Today, it's really hard to
find a more popular item on most any menu than the incredible, edible, egg. There are
really quite a few reasons why. First, eggs are extremely nutritious. They're
highest quality protein and rich in a number of important vitamins and
minerals. Eggs are also easy to prepare and they're available year-round. And
last but not least, eggs are extremely versatile. They can be prepared hundreds
of different ways for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as for snacks. Eggs
can be served in more ways than any other food. When prepared properly there's
no better looking, better tasting menu item than the incredible, edible egg. Dean Martin Musical Ad How do you like
your eggs in the morning I like mine
with a kiss Boiled or fried I'm satisfied
as long as I get my kiss. How do you like
your toast in the morning I like mine
with a hug Dark or light The world's all
right As
long as I get my hug. I've got to
have my love in the a.m. Or the rest of
my day is positively mayhem I'm a regular
monster. How do you like
your eggs in the morning I like mine
with a kiss Up or down' I'd never frown,
eggs can be almost bliss Just
as long as I get my kiss. ending theme Jon Steinman: And that was this week's edition of
Deconstructing Dinner, produced and recorded at Nelson, British Columbia's
Kootenay Co-op Radio. I've been your host Jon Steinman. I thank my technical
assistant, John Ryan. The theme music
for Deconstructing Dinner is courtesy of Nelson-area resident, Adham Shaikh. This radio show is provided free of charge to campus/community radio
stations across the country and relies on the financial support from you, the
listener. Support for the program can be donated through our website at
deconstructingdinner.ca or by dialling 250-352-9600.
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