[samuria]

hi folks, could you tell me if you are allowed to keep a cockerel in your back garden  

[SnooziSuzi]

Hi Samuria,

unless you have several acres of land and don't have many neighbours nearby then the answer is most probably 'No', but you will have to check with your local council for a definitive answer.

Some councils let you have a few hens in the back garden for eggs, others don't but I can't imagine any council letting you have a cockerel if you are in a built up area.

sorry.

[samuria]

oh s+it, thats put pay to that idea, thanks for reply

[NormandyMary]

I cant understand why cockerals aren't allowed, but dogs are. Lets face it, once night time comes, you hear nothing from the henhouse, but dogs can bark all through the night. From experience, I know this to be true!!

[OpiumEater]

Frustrating I know. When I mentioned I was getting hens to my neighbours the first question they asked was "are you getting a cockerel?". I can bet you they would be ringing the council in a blink if I said yes, and yet two of them have the happiest of dogs!

[Sassy]

Some deeds also have an exclusion clause. Cockerels are generally to be avoided in an urban environment.

My chooks are kept a quarter of a mile outside our village and I have had a complaint about cockerel (now deceased, but not because of the complaint!!)

[shetan]

when i had to visit my sister, i took the poorly brahma with me. only just put him in the pen and the door bell went....

'how long is that cockerel staying for?'

my sister told him that the bird could barely breathe - forget crow and if he'd looked out a few seconds longer, he'd have noticed that it was visibly ill.

fact is, some people can't see past their own noses - i don't remember my parent's complaining when his mother played piano and sang badly late into the night with back door wide open, when he used to listen to loud ganster rap and the walls and windows  vibrated or when he sounds like a hooligan if the footy's on!

sad but true

[GrannieAnnie]

I agree Shetan, its very sad.  I'd rather listen to our cockerels enjoying themselves outside than noisy kids, dogs, adults shouting and swearing at each other, music, motorbikes etc.

[bantam novice]

Hear hear! 

[Raven81]

We have reasonably small garden and when we checked with the council they said we can have up to 13 hens (I don't know where they expect we'd keep that many) but no cockerel. When I spoke to my neighbour I made sure I mentioned this so she'd know that it could be worse - we only have 6!!
I understand why we can't have a cockerel but as previous posts have stated, a barking dog is worse, plus for my neighbour, surely the cat up the road that has destroyed her fence is more bother!
I wouldn't risk getting one if you aren't allowed as you'd have to get rid of it - my mum had this to her as a child!