Whitehorse could soon be home to some fowl residents after Monday evening's city council meeting.

Second and third readings of the new Animal Control Bylaw were passed, permitting local residents to have up to six hens on their property.

In voting with the rest of council to allow the hens, provided owners meet certain conditions, Coun. Dave Stockdale backed off on his proposal last week to have a referendum on the matter as part of the Oct. 18 municipal election.

The birds can now fall under the nuisance animal category if there are problems, and those looking to keep chickens will need approval from 60 per cent of their neighbours within a three-metre radius.

Given those safeguards, Stockdale said, he doesn't believe a general vote on the matter is needed after all.

It would "take forever” to organize a referendum, he said, adding it would also be complicated and likely end in the same split result.

The citizens' survey this year found 48 per cent weren't in favour of chickens being permitted in residential areas, while 41 per cent said they were in favour.

The remaining residents surveyed made other comments on the situation.

"It is a complete polarization,” Coun. Ranj Pillai said of the issue.

He hopes the city has met both sides of the argument in the middle, with the regulation that more than a majority of property owners in the area agree with a proposal to keep chickens.

He also said he wants the public to understand the decision to go ahead with the change was not an easy one given the nearly 50/50 split in opinions.

Those who have made presentations to the city on the matter have argued backyard hens promote local food production, and that the manure is excellent for compost.

Meanwhile, those opposed to the idea argue the birds are too noisy and draw predators such as foxes to the neighbourhood.

While the regulations governing chickens fall under the Animal Control Bylaw, it was through the city's Zoning Bylaw rewrite that a number of residents proposed being permitted to have chicken coops.

The city then looked at making the changes to the Animal Control Bylaw with regulations governing how the coops will be built, how to deal with manure, the number of hens allowed and so on.

At last night's meeting, council passed amendments so that roosters will not be allowed to be kept.

If a chick is found to be a rooster, the owner must get rid of it. The regulation was put in after concerns were expressed over the excessive noise the male birds often make.

It had initially been proposed that birds be at least four months old before they are purchased so the sex would be known.

That was changed when it was pointed out at a public hearing that it would be expensive and put stress on the bird to ship it after the age of four months.

Instead, at the first sign of a chick being a rooster, the owner must get rid of it.

Those found to be breaking the regulations around chickens could be fined $75, and the permit allowing for the hens could be revoked.

Coun. Florence Roberts said she was glad to see the city planning to take action if there is a problem.

Also changed in the bylaw are the limits around dogs and cats.

Where the bylaw previously permitted dogs and cats on a per residence basis, they are now limited on a per property basis to account for garden suites and the like.