Keeping Chickens

If you keep chickens, or are thinking about doing so, you must ensure that:

You will need to consider:

How many chickens do you want to keep on your property? Three or four chickens will lay enough eggs for a family of four per week. Too many chickens may annoy neighbours with their smell and noise.
Do you need to keep a rooster? Hens do not need roosters to lay eggs. Roosters mean chicks, so what are you going to do with them? Roosters can also be aggressive and attack people and they crow at all hours of the day and night. Tthis may annoy your neighbours and result in complaints.
Bird droppings attract mice. You will need to clean your aviaries or chicken runs three or four times a week to help keep food scraps away from mice and to help keep your birds disease and parasite free. Use seed feeders instead of open plates or trays and secure your seed supply in airtight containers.

Are your poultry kept in conditions where they do not create a nuisance and are not dangerous or injurious to health?
Are your poultry yards kept clean and free from offensive odours?
Are poultry kept according to council regulations as outlined below:
- Chickens must be kept 15.2 metres away from dwellings, public halls, schools or premises used for manufacture, preparation, sale or storage of food.
- However, if the area under the roost is paved either with concrete or mineral asphalt or clean sand is regularly laid, the chickens may be kept 4.5 metres away from dwellings, public halls, schools or premises used for manufacture, preparation, sale or storage of food.
- Poultry other than chickens (eg ducks and geese) must not be kept within 30 metres of any dwelling, public hall, school or premises used for manufacture, preparation, sale or storage of food.

If you have any further questions about keeping poultry, please call Council's Health Officer on 6648 4000.