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Regulations on Keeping Chickens

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Alan_Y:
Can any of you fine people help.
I am the allotment officer for Halton Borough Council in Cheshire and one of our tenants have asked me are there any regulations regarding the keeping of chickens on an allotment plot. e.g.  The transportation of livestock , where they are purchased, inoculations and do they need to be registered.
What regulations do you have to apply with. Do vets have to come out periodically to inoculate against salmonella etc , how much does it cost. what are the hazards ,pitfalls and problems.

All advise welcome.

Regards

Alan

Jesse:
Alan are you asking specifically about keeping hens on allotments (I'm not sure if there are any extra regulations applied to hens on allotments, if there are I would have thought they would be decided by the relevant council) or keeping hens as a hobby in general?

Take a look at DEFRA's website and here's a link to the UK legislation for poultry, most of it applies to backyard poultry keepers as well, but some of it doesn't....e.g. none of my hens are vaccinated. DEFRA's site will probably confirm it somewhere but if I remember correctly anyone keeping under 50 birds would not need to register their birds.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodrin/poultry/legislation.htm

Paulines7:

--- Quote from: Alan_Y on January 19, 2006, 08:20:47 ---Can any of you fine people help.
I am the allotment officer for Halton Borough Council in Cheshire and one of our tenants have asked me are there any regulations regarding the keeping of chickens on an allotment plot. e.g.  The transportation of livestock , where they are purchased, inoculations and do they need to be registered.
What regulations do you have to apply with. Do vets have to come out periodically to inoculate against salmonella etc , how much does it cost. what are the hazards ,pitfalls and problems.

--- End quote ---

If the number of chickens exceeds 50 then it is classed as a commercial venture and there are many rules and regulations to take into account.  However, I imagine your allotment holder is just wanting a few chickens for his own personal use, in which case they do not need to be registered or inoculated. 

Councils have their own rules and regulations regarding the keeping of hens on allotments so if your Council has no objections then there should be no reasons to refuse the request.

As for hazzards, pitfalls and problems, there are only two that I can think of at the moment.  The first is that the run should be very secure, preferably with a net over the top or if not, at least 5 ft high fencing.  Just imagine the damage the birds could do to if they managed to get out.  The second concern is Bird Flu.  What would happen to the birds if the Government brought in a regulation that all poultry should be kept indoors?  Some European countries already have this rule.
There is more about Bird Flu on a previous thread.

kenkew:
I'm sure there is something regarding regulations with regard to salmonella. A friend of mine had to get rid of his stock (about 100 birds) due to the cost of implimenting the rules. This was in the Edwina Curry flurry days!

Paulines7:

--- Quote from: kenkew on January 20, 2006, 22:33:32 ---I'm sure there is something regarding regulations with regard to salmonella. A friend of mine had to get rid of his stock (about 100 birds) due to the cost of implimenting the rules. This was in the Edwina Curry flurry days!

--- End quote ---

Yes Ken, that's because more than 50 birds were kept.

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