Raising Chickens in City Backyards: The Public Health Role

There is increasing interest in raising chickens in urban settings across North America. Current regulations on backyard chickens
vary by jurisdiction due to concerns about perceived health threats. Proposed negative impacts on public health and community
well-being include infectious diseases acquired through rearing practices or consumption of eggs, inappropriate waste management,
interaction with pests and predators and nuisance factors such as noise and odour. Proposed benefits are derived largely from
the human-animal bond and from feelings of autonomy over food selection. The importance or validity of claims of positive
and negative effects cannot be supported by literature specific to the urban agriculture context. Public health practitioners
might approach this issue in a manner analogous to concerns over keeping domestic pets.