Chickens on parade in St. Albert to promote urban hen programs

St. Albert’s annual rainmaker rodeo parade was held Saturday morning, with over 100 entrants walking, riding, and driving the parade route, including a few feathered friends. For the first time in the parade’s collective memory, chickens joined the fanfare.

“With a little help from these nifty little chicken bags, we thought, ‘well, this is actually possible, and people would actually be able to see them,’ as opposed to the crate. This way, people were able to get up close and personal and really connect with the animals,” said Monique Webb, an urban hen trainer.

The chickens were either carried or wheeled along in a crate. Excited children got to see and even pet the chickens, who, despite being in crowds of thousands of people, were relaxed enough to lay an egg.

“They’re very relaxed, they enjoy being held, they’re quite sociable and used to people. They had a good time, they don’t seem to mind the bags. They have a good time hanging out in there,” Webb explained.

But the chickens weren’t in Saturday’s parade just for show. Webb trains people across the province in urban hen ownership, a program that allows homeowners to have four to six chickens right in their backyard.

“One of the processes for getting those chickens is you have to take a training course. So you have to be a responsible pet owner with the chickens. And that’s where I come in,” said Webb.

The City of Edmonton has had an urban hen-keeping program since 2014; many urban municipalities throughout Alberta have a similar program. Webb says it’s about more than just being able to collect your own eggs from the yard.

“It helps us realize how disconnected we are from our food sources, and we sometimes forget that they come from real animals, and we can collect food from animals ethically, and anybody can do it. You don’t have to be an expert, you don’t need to live on a farm, you don’t need to know everything. You can take a course and learn how and reconnect with your food and provide for yourself and your family. And bring a ton of joy to your kids, your family, your neighbourhood, it’s just so much fun.”