Historically, keeping backyard chickens was a response to economic hardship -- whether it was in the Depression or during wartime food rationing. But a growing number of chickens today are roaming or are caged on small family farms and in backyards, as suburban and urban poultry gains more popularity among consumers. Many people prefer to raise their own food because they think it will be safer, fresher and more nutritious than that which was commercially raised. Yet, a new University of California, Davis, study suggests that local ordinances are not adequately addressing human and animal health when it comes to backyard poultry, and laws that do exist do not keep pace with those for commercial growers.
"Ironically, as people seek to take control over the way their food is grown, most ordinances fail to ensure basic health and welfare for birds and humans," said Catherine Brinkley, assistant professor of community and regional development, in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. She is the primary author of the study. The paper, "A Method for Guarding Animal Welfare and Public Health: Tracking the Rise of Backyard Poultry Ordinances," was recently published in the Journal of Community Health.
What needs to happen, the author recommends, is that there be more laws that mandate vaccinations, manure management and general animal welfare in urban and suburban settings similar to policies and regulations imposed on commercial chicken ranches. "Provisions governing animal slaughter and routine veterinary care are rare, presenting a concern for monitoring and intervening in public health crises," the study says. "In addition, shelters anticipate higher poultry intakes, particularly as unwanted birds are turned loose to become strays."
(Source: Agriculture and Food News, ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com)
