There are no national rules or regulations in the UK that stop you from keeping small numbers (less than 50) chickens however there are some regulations to check first.
- DEFRA: You are allowed to keep up to 50 chickens on your land without registering with DEFRA, however after the avian influenza outbreaks, a poultry register was set up in 2005 and you are required to register if you keep more than 50 poultry on the premises – so you need to take into consideration any other poultry you have. There is more information on my page: DEFRA: The Poultry Register
- By-Laws: There are occasionally by-laws for certain properties that prevent people from keeping livestock. Check with your local council that this doesn’t apply to you.
- Covenants: There are sometimes covenants put in place by housing authorities and councils to stop tenants from keeping chickens at their property. This seems to be a local decision as there are no national restrictions.
- House Deeds: Again, the deeds of some properties may state that you are not allowed to keep chickens (again, often stated as keeping livestock). If your property is free of restrictions, you should be able to keep chickens without a problem, however do keep in mind that local residents may complain to the council about noise levels if you keep a cockerel.
There are a number of Laws, regulations and requirements that can affect you (in the UK) and I have created a number of sub pages to cover these briefly:
we are in a row of terraced houses and the end neighbour, next to us, has 4/5 chickens which are quite noisy early in the mornings and sometimes wake us up . Are they still allowed to keep the chickens?
There are sometimes regulations in tenancy agreements or with local councils that prevent you from keeping chickens. The best approach though would be to go and talk to them in a non confrontational way and see whether they can keep the coop closed up until you are awake in the mornings. If the hens are kept in almost darkness, they should be quieter too so it MIT be worth discussing this with them.
i have a new chick and might be a rooster i was just wondering if there are any rules on keeping roosters (them being noisy) and if there are any what they are
thank you
There are noise abatement laws which I think you might fall fowl of…
Hi,
Thanks for the great info on this site. I just want this clarified this a bit more. Other than noise abatement laws, are there any other legal restrictions in keeping a rooster in the UK? I mean would I have to register with some organisation that I have a rooster or let the council know or something? Or just like hens can I go and buy a rooster and keep it in my garden without worrying about any registerations and laws? And do you know what these noise abatement laws are? Thanks.
hi, could u please help, i rent a 2 acre field at the back of my house. on it i have chickens/cocks. ponys, ducks. a neighbour has complained about the cocks being to noisy in eaerly hours of morns. they r locked away in sheds at night and let out at 7.30am ish. i live on the out skirts of a rural village. can they do anything about it?
thankyou.
from michelle.
I’m sorry I don’t know. I guess they can complain to environmental health about the noise but I’m not sure.
I would always urge people to be considerate of neighbours and try to come up with a solution to prevent disturbance. You may be better off without the cocks and bringing fertile eggs in from elsewhere if you need to hatch.
I see many folks asking about the keeping of chickens in gardens of council and rented properties . unless your deeds state that you cannot keep any type of livestock you are ok under these rules .
Abolition of contractual restrictions on keeping hens and rabbits
Allotments Act 1950
12 Abolition of contractual restrictions on keeping hens and rabbits.
(1)Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in any lease or tenancy or in any covenant, contract or undertaking relating to the use to be made of any land, it shall be lawful for the occupier of any land to keep, otherwise than by way of trade or business, hens or rabbits in any place on the land and to erect or place and maintain such buildings or structures on the land as reasonably necessary for that purpose:
Provided that nothing in this subsection shall authorise any hens or rabbits to be kept in such a place or in such a manner as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance or affect the operation of any enactment.
So i hope this will make it clear to folks that you can keep chickens as long as you stick to local guidelines which in my case was max of 6 hens but no cocks at all .
Hope this helps folks
My chickens go into the field next to my house and the owner told me to keep out , they are free range . Is it illegal for them to go into his field
Thank you for your help
I believe so, only cats have roaming rights. Chickens are classed as livestock so would come under the same rules as say sheep wandering onto neighbouring land.