The chicken debate is over in Collingwood.

At a meeting Monday evening, Town Councillors said “no” to backyard chickens, by voting down a motion to develop a new by-law on the matter.

Hundreds of people had signed a petition, asking council to consider drawing up new rules to allow backyard hens to be kept as a sustainable food source.

Collingwood Communcations Officer Jennett Mays told CTV News on Monday evening that it was not a recorded vote, so there’s no record of how individual councillors voted on the matter.

In turning down the idea, councillors have also voted against giving people who have chickens in their backyard a moratorium.

The town’s current by-law banning chickens will remain in place, although it’s not clear how aggressively it will be enforced.