Seven year later the hens have come home to roost in West Vancouver.
The municipality's ban on backyard chickens has been rescinded with council voting unanimously on Monday in favour of the fowls.
Some feathers were ruffled in 2008 when West Vancouver banished the chickens, after a century of allowing residents to keep them, because of concerns they were attracting large wildlife to backyards.
Council started reconsidering the chicken coops last November after hearing from a group of residents that included plucky 11-year-old Gleneagles elementary student Kaylee Whittaker, who spoke about her dream to raise backyard chickens.
The youth engagement factor weighed heavily in the councillors' decision to reverse the chicken ban Monday night.
"It's educational, not only that - you know, I'd rather have a kid playing with the chicken than a cellphone quite frankly," said Coun. Bill Soprovich.
Coun. Craig Cameron, adding to Soprovich's sentiments about the benefits of introducing children to urban chicken cultivation, said there were youngsters willingly waiting for an hour to see some small barnyard animals at PumpkinFest last weekend.
"And why was that so popular? Because kids really enjoy ... connecting with animals ... and watching them and interacting with them," said Cameron.
West Vancouver undertook a public consultation this past spring, to gauge interest in backyard chicken coops, that included an online survey and open house.
There were 142 surveys completed. Asked if personally they would be interested in keeping backyard chickens, 49.6 per cent of survey respondents, or 69 people, said yes. Meanwhile, 60 per cent of West Vancouver residents polled said they are in favour of having chicken coops in their neighbourhood.
Food security and environmental sustainability topped the list of backyard chickens
benefits that respondents were polled on.
The potential to attract wildlife and rodents were the biggest concerns to respondents. Last year the North Shore Black Bear Network reversed its stance on backyard chicken coops attracting the burly animals.
West Vancouver staff also looked at urban chicken husbandry models in neighbouring municipalities.
Since the chickens came home to roost in North Vancouver city in 2012, five coops have been spotted. North Vancouver district, however, does not allow the keeping of chickens.
In the City of Vancouver, where there are 600,000 residents, a total of 218 households have registered hens.
Extrapolating those statistics, Coun. Nora Gambioli abated any fears about chickens ruling the roost in West Vancouver, while reiterating no roosters would be allowed due to noise concerns.
"So we're not talking about everyone getting chickens, we are actually talking about a handful of people who would be allowed to have hens essentially as pets and benefit from their egg production," said Gambioli.
As the motion reads, staff will report back to council with drafted bylaws to regulate the keeping of chickens in a "safe, humane and sanitary manner that is sensitive to the needs of neighbouring properties."
