THUNDER BAY -- Concerns about the smell, noise and hygiene of backyard chickens can be managed with the right bylaw and enforcement the health unit says.

THUNDER BAY -- Concerns about the smell, noise and hygiene of backyard chickens can be managed with the right bylaw and enforcement the health unit says.

City council voted Monday to get a report on whether to let people keep backyard chickens, an idea put forward by the Thunder Bay and Area Food Strategy, by June.

The food strategy recommends that the city allow less than ten chickens, no roosters, with standard care for housing, waste disposal and feed storage. It would also like to see the city consider letting community organizations and institutions take part in urban chicken farming.

"We're not talking about large scale farming operations," Eco Superior executive director Ellen Mortfield said.

Food strategy coordinator Kendal Donahue said it's estimated the city has around 300 chicken coops already and only two complaints to the bylaw department. Low complaint numbers were common in the eight cities the strategy studied that already have legal backyard chickens.

"They found that the effort put into enforcement or the resources applied to it has been quite low since there is such a low number of complaints,” Donahue said.

Thunder Bay District Health Unit environmental health unit Lee Sieswerda said backyard chickens would be very manageable as long as people aren't selling the eggs and if the right bylaws and enforcement were in place.

Supporter George Woods said he grew up on a farm and graduated with an agricultural degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1950. He said contrary to what many people think, backyard chickens would keep pests away, from mice to termites. Chickens also eat weeds, which would help cerate better soil in the city and make for better gardening.

"They control the bugs and the insects," he said.

Development and emergency services manager Mark Smith said the city hasn't been enforcing its current policy against backyard chickens given the low number of complaints out there.. Smith said it was the first time he'd heard that there were 300 coops in the city. If more complaints do come forward though, Smith said he couldn't commit to council that enforcement wouldn't begin.