🎓 Urban Hen Training
Coming Soon
Free, practical, community-based training to help Calgary residents care for backyard hens responsibly, confidently, and humanely.
🐔 Responsible Hen Keeping Starts With Education
The City of Calgary requires all urban hen licence applicants to complete an approved introductory training course before applying for an Urban Hen Licence.
Required training covers important topics such as animal welfare, coop design, sanitation, biosecurity, winter care, and responsible flock management.
As part of the Winston Heights–Mountview Community Chicken Coop Pilot, we plan to offer hands-on urban hen training sessions right here in the community.
🌾 Built for Calgary Backyards
These workshops will be designed specifically for Calgary’s climate and urban environment.
The goal is to combine practical demonstrations with clear, accessible guidance on how to successfully care for hens in the city.
- Understanding Calgary’s Urban Hen Program requirements
- Choosing and maintaining a safe backyard coop
- Preparing hens and coops for Calgary winters
- Managing sanitation, odour, pests, and manure
- Following good biosecurity practices
- Providing humane daily care and flock management
🥚 Training Certificate
Once available, these courses are intended to help participants obtain the training certificate required when applying for a City of Calgary Urban Hen Licence.
Course details, approval status, schedules, and registration information will be posted here as they become available.
🏡 Part of the Community Chicken Coop Pilot
The Community Chicken Coop Pilot is designed to be both a food project and an education space.
By offering local training, we hope to make urban hen keeping more accessible while helping residents understand the responsibilities that come with keeping animals in a city environment.
The training program will support responsible backyard food production, humane animal care, and stronger local knowledge around urban agriculture.
📚 What Future Sessions May Cover
Planned workshop topics may include:
- Urban Hen Care 101
- Coop design and predator protection
- Winterizing a coop for Calgary weather
- Daily feeding, watering, and egg collection routines
- Biosecurity basics for backyard flocks
- Manure handling and safe composting
- Neighbour-friendly hen keeping
- Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them
🚜 Learning From Local Experience
We are exploring opportunities to include practical guidance from local farmers, feed producers, experienced hen keepers, and community volunteers.
This may include demonstrations, videos, examples of coop setups, feed and nutrition guidance, and practical lessons learned from Calgary backyard chicken keepers.
📍 Course Details Coming Soon
Course dates, registration details, location, and certificate information will be posted on this page as the program develops.
Residents interested in future training are encouraged to join the Backyard Hen Network mailing list for updates.
Join the Backyard Hen Network Mailing List🌻 A Practical Community Learning Space
Our goal is to provide free, accessible training that helps residents meet Calgary’s Urban Hen Program requirements while learning best practices for humane care, biosecurity, and sustainable backyard food production.
Responsible Care • Local Learning • Healthy Hens • Stronger Communities