Livestock should remain in the country

I found out a long time ago that I was not a country person and so stayed in an urban environment. Imagine my dismay when I found out city council was going to investigate bringing the country into Lethbridge, namely in the form of chickens. Several of my five senses, being as prescient as they are, are telling me that there are going to be problems with this.

One problem is the noise. Being the little dinosaurian descendants that they are, chickens like to make noise. Unfortunately, unlike their feathered brethren, they lack a syrinx, which makes them far less melodious. Some may find their constant clucking soothing but I am willing to bet the majority will liken it to the sound of chickens scratching their claws on a blackboard. Noise complaints will rise, more bylaw enforcement officers will be hired and taxes will rise.

Then there is smell. Chickens like to eat. That means, well, you know what that means. What goes in must come out. I know many backyard farmers will work hard and keep the coops and yards clean. I also know others won’t. Besides offending me, those smells will attract other unwanted guests. Mice, skunks and raccoons will all show up looking for a home or free meal. Not to mention those cute little homicidal maniacs, cats.

Some backyard farmers are going to find out that the chickens are more work than they thought, or more expensive to keep than they thought, or they keep them from going on vacation, or they just got too old to lay eggs. Animal rescue operations already seem to be maxed dealing with dogs and cats. What happens with chickens?

Finally, once one type of livestock is allowed, where do you draw the line? Personally, I’m hoping for sheep and goats. The sheep to keep the lawn short and the goats to eat the weeds.

Livestock is fine in the country where it belongs. When mixed with people in a concentrated environment, it is going to create problems, which is why it was banned in the first place.

Tim VanderBeek

Lethbridge