Every week in Montreal, hens and roosters are being abandoned by owners unable to take care of them, says the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
Raising chickens for fresh eggs is part of the increasingly popular urban farming trend, but many people soon find out that taking care of chickens is a delicate and long term affair. Hens can live for up to ten years after they stop laying eggs.
“People don’t realize that chickens are sensitive, curious, smart animals that require extensive care,” says Alanna Devine, Director of Animal Advocacy at the Montreal SPCA. “Unfortunately, there is this trend of people thinking they can easily take on raising chickens in an urban environment.”
Devine says she believes legalizing chicken coops across the city would mean more strays at the SPCA.
Raising chickens in Montreal is illegal, but since 2011 there have been a few pilot projects in the city.
Instead of raising chickens, Devine says people should buy eggs from organic chicken farms or not eat eggs at all.
With files from CBC.
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