C H I C K E N S
The following advice sheet offers practical measures which, if
implemented, may help to reduce the nuisance caused to
neighbours.
There are currently no restrictions or legislation on keeping chickens
in a residential area; however there may be a restrictive covenant in
the deeds to a property.
If you have more than 50 birds at your property, then you are required to register with DEFRA
who monitor all keepers of large flocks of birds in the country. You may also register if you hold
less than 50 birds, however this is not compulsory.
GENERAL HOUSEKEEPING
• Ensure you have an adequately sized garden as you need to have enough room for the
coop and run. The chickens may also need to be able to occasionally roam freely around
your garden during the day; therefore you must fox/cat-proof your garden and be
prepared for any damage they may cause to the garden during roaming.
• Consider the distance from adjacent and surrounding neighbours as chickens have the
potential to cause both noise and odour nuisances. Ensure that the cockerel/chickens
are located as far as is practical from neighbouring residential properties.
• Store the feed in a suitable manner as it could potentially encourage vermin to the area.
It is advisable to place the feed bowls off the ground so vermin cannot feed from them.
• It is also advisable to consult your neighbours on your proposed plans to ascertain any
potential objections or queries which they might have. Keeping chickens in an urban
environment has the potential to cause neighbour complaints; you must be prepared to
act quickly on any complaints received from neighbours. Therefore building a
relationship with your neighbours with regard to keeping chickens can help resolve future
problems without the need of involvement from the Council.
NOISE
• Keep the coop as dark as possible to minimise early morning crowing and lower the
ceiling height of the coop to prevent the cockerel from throwing back its head and
crowing.
• Reduce competition as other cockerels in the area will cause them to compete with each
other and may result in excess crowing.
ODOUR
• Clean the coop regularly, this may need to be as much as once every 3-4 days during the
summer months, in order to reduce the odour nuisance to surrounding properties.
• Dispose of the waste correctly. It is advisable to double bag the waste before placing in
the bin in order to reduce odour.