Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: Planner on July 01, 2008, 09:53
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Hi all
I just wanted to run by the forum on any thoughts on local bye laws and legalities of keeping chickens.
To outline my situation, I live in a small city on an estate where our houses were built in the mid 1930's. They have fairly long gardens, my garden is approximately 150 feet long from the back door to the end boundary.
I have looked on the deeds to my property and there is no mention in the covernance about keeping animals etc.
I have spoken to a number of neighbours and so far none have objected to my proposal, however we have one of my immediate neighbours who are very private, all attempts ever to speak to them is very hard work. Also I have the proverbial nosey neighbour about 3 or 4 houses away who has nothing better to do than poke his nose into everyone elses business, who will probably moan because it will be something new to moan about. :x
Obviously I will speak to my immediate neighbour and let them know of my intentions, I will do everything to ensure that the chickens are kept clean so that both smells and vermin are kept to the minimum, I will set bait traps for rats etc. The chooks will be kept at the far end of the garden, maximum distance from houses, and they will be kept pernamently is a run because we have a number of neighbours cats and dogs, so for their own safety, they need to be contained.
So my question really is, if anyone was to object strongly, can they do anything about it. Is there anywhere I can check to see if I am falling :) fowl :) of the law?
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Well planner best thing to do would be just to give your local authority a ring, like you say if there's no covenants on the deeds then you should be fine, except don't have a cockerel as they can be a noise nuisance, there been a few cases in the paper recently about owners landing big fines over their cocks noise.
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Basically what Richy says. I think, in the absence of anything in your deeds, there are only environmental issues such as noise, smell and vermine.
If you keep them as they should be kept, and you obviously what is needed, there shouldn't be a problem. If somebody objects to hens squawking in the afternoon, they'd have to show that it was unreasonable noise, rather than just a bit annoying.
Likewise, if they one rat after 6 months, as long as you are taking measures to prevent them, it's probably the person throwing bread to the birds causing it ! :)
Do what Richy says and make a courtesy call to the council but don't let them dissuade you unless there are specific reasons against it.
Good luck.
Rob :)
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Rang the local EHO and they had no objections, only will become an issue if smell or noise complaints. :)
Now I need to find a quiet, non smelling hens - Any ideas?
Thanks for the replies to date, would be interested to hear if others have had issues and how they handled it.
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Don't let the council bully you into registering with Defra, even if you are selling eggs, you don't have to, unless you have 50 plus birds.
Of course once you start and with a large garden . . . . you might one day find you have more than 50 ;) :tongue2: :lol:
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I had an email from a lady the other day, she and her husband moved to Lincoln after coming out of the RAF and want to buy some chickens. she said she'd asked a neighbour if it would be okay to keep a few as they are living in Council accommodation, and he said he was only allowed to keep his chickens if they were of ornamental or semi ornamental breeds!!!
So they weren't worried about what noise or mess they made, just had to look pretty!!!! What a load of twaddle!
Well planner, I hope you do get your chickens, they are addictive you know!!!
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I had an email from a lady the other day, she and her husband moved to Lincoln after coming out of the RAF and want to buy some chickens. she said she'd asked a neighbour if it would be okay to keep a few as they are living in Council accommodation, and he said he was only allowed to keep his chickens if they were of ornamental or semi ornamental breeds!!!
So they weren't worried about what noise or mess they made, just had to look pretty!!!! What a load of twaddle!
Well planner, I hope you do get your chickens, they are addictive you know!!!
I suspect that the distinction is that of pets allowed but livestock not allowed.
Still daft though IMHO :D
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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder :cyclopsani:
Rob :)
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This is very interesting. I also live in a council owned property and enquired to our housing office if we could keep a couple of hens, the answer we got was no livestock allowed, so does anyone have any idea where the pets not livestock boundary begins/ends?
If ornamental birds are not classed as livestock could i perhaps get a couple of them?
I am thinking about getting three hens anyway and see if anyone complains.
If anyone has any ideas or views on this i would be really grateful as i really really want to get some chooks!!
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Get some ordinary layers and if the inspector comes round, stick a wig on them and some feathers on their legs. He'll never know :wink:
Rob :)
..and pin up some rosettes from poultry shows.
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Just tell your council that you are reducing food miles and slip your neighbours a few eggs as a pressie and hopefully all will be well.
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Like Rob said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I think the Amberlinks are beautiful, and the Babcocks have some lovely coloured feathers, but as they are hybrids they probably won't be classed as at all ornamental!
But people like hybrids for their eggs and the fact that they aren't usually as expensive to buy as pure breeds!
Although Baytree Garden centre are selling hybrids for £19.95!!!!!
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Although Baytree Garden centre are selling hybrids for £19.95!!!!!
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talk about getting on the band wagon !
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Personally I think sussex are a beautiful breed.
also if you keep chickens in the backyard, you talk to them :oops: , stroke them, play with them :oops: and generally behave like a nutter - :tongue2: :lol: :o doesn't that mean they are pets? Just because they produce eggs that you can eat doesn't mean they are any less a part of the family!
Some people breed dog or cat at home to give them a litter for selling on? Could 2 rabbits thought to be same sex, but not have a whole army of babies? what is the difference?
Occasionally my dogs are alot noisier than the chickens as they bark at Foxes, Cats and general neighbourhood noise. the latter because someone/thing has walked through/past their garden. Dh and I are very aware of the distruption this causes to others, so we keep it to a minimum.
To me "livestock" is a LARGE hoard of chickens such as on a farm!
OOPs soap box moment.
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I have spoken to my neighbours both sides and they are both totally excited at the prospect of us having chooks, we also spoke to the people whose garden backs onto ours as the chooks will be near to them, and they are eggxited too (sorry bad chook joke).
Apparently, according to the little old lady, a few doors up, who has lived here for most of her life, the people that lived in our house, years and years ago, used to keep chickens, pigs and ducks. How ironic.
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Think getting you neighbours onside is more important than the council. Agree that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and think they are all pretty ornamental (not as beautiful as ducks of course - And not so much thought of as livestock as not associated so strongly with eggs and mine lay well). I'd go for it!
Well obviously I already have :D
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Thanks, i think i will just get some and hope the free eggs will keep everybody happy.
I have also just found out today there may be a poultry plot coming up on my allotment soon, which i want to get, so they will be able to go up there if my plan goes well.
Now to sort my garden fencing out, build a coop and run and hope for some good weather to do it in!!
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Although Baytree Garden centre are selling hybrids for £19.95!!!!!
went to Baytree in Braintree on sunday (on the way to the bag shop :roll: )
was soooooo not inpressed. admittedly my 8 year old niece loved seeing all the animals, and piglets running around. but it was filthy, even the bunnies water was bright green.
and they are trying to sell everything in pairs to get shot of the cockerels. £45 a pair.
and as bluebelle has gone broody needing some eggys, but £1 for a hybrid eggy.... um no way. several unhappy customers there the same time as us. people are definately hoiking the prices up at the minute, and its the animals paying the price.
managed to find a dozen white crested black polands for £12 woo hoo