Allotments 4 All

On my old allotment site that was ran by Hartlepool Borough Council, the contract stated that livestock could not be kept on any plots however poultry could be kept with prior permission from allotments officer (not cocks though).

My new plot is in the parish of Preston on Tees and is ran by the parish council. The contract states that livestock cannot be kept on any plot. It makes no mention to the keeping of poultry.

What are your thoughts on this? Although technically yes they are live animals, I do not class hens as livestock, they are poultry birds. Do you agree?

I thought I'd ask people on here first to see if any of you have experienced the same situation, before I speak to the guy from the parish council.

Shane

Shane,

I feel that it is pointless to ask our opinions of what "livestock" means as at the end of the day it is the Parish Councils interpretation of the word that matters.
I think that if you can present a responsible and competent plan of action for your potential project then you may well be more likely to succeed in your endeavors.
I think it would be unwise to try and find a legal loophole in the wording because they will just say no and their decision is final.
Having said all that I hope you can get your project approved and I am not a Parish Councillor!

My opinion is that any animals kept on an allotment is livestock.  I have hens on my allotment and class them as livestock.

try a different aproach, like you want to be a organic gardener, chickens would eat the weeds spare leaves off plants in return for manure to feed the lottie and in return you would get fresh eggs.
Or tell them your going "Green", recycling leaves weeds in exchange for them laying eggs and manure for lottie, you want your children to experence the taste of fresh laid eggs and understand how hens lay the eggs a first hand experence.
Even draw a pic of the hen house and run and show how secure it would be with proper containers for fresh water and layers pellets.
I have a first aid kit ( list) pm me if you want it, all this will impress the council man how serious you are you may get the go ahead.
poultry is a grey aera when talking of live stock so not worth the argument.

WE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH OUR COUNCIL. BUT I HAVE RANG THE ALLOTMENT ASSOCIATION 01536 266 576 AND THEY ASSURED ME THAT THE ALLOTMENT LAW  SAYS YOU CAN KEEP HENS AS OF RIGHT . HOPE THIS WILL HELP GOOD LUCK

Because I have had run ins with my Council re my polytunnel and no one else on my site keeps chickens I wrote in to ask permission!!

I am now a "representative" of my site and so I attend the meetings in an "official" type of way!  Anyway yes it was agreed that chickens could be kept on our alltoments as long as the RSPCA advice was adhered to in respect of housing and conditions.

I don't think that many councils have a problem with keeping chickens on allotments I would give them a call and ask.  I would say though that they would not allow cockerels for obvious noise reasons!

Good Luck with yours!

I am hoping to have my ex battery hens mid May - can't wait!

Old Bird

Thanks for your replys.

Old Bird, I'm hoping that I will have the same outcome as yourself.
Last time I kept chickens I had an RSPCA officer call out and check the girls housing and enclosure. He was more than happy with it.

I think I'll plan everything first, put it all on paper and then approach the parish council with my plans. See what they say. I'll make sure I stress how much I will NOT be keeping a cockerel  ;D

It's good to see your taking in some old battery girls. Where are they coming from & how many are you getting?

Shane

http://backyardchickens.yuku.com/

I think it is wonderful that you are thinking of having ex battery hens.

Lovely to give the girls a fresh start.

Our rules say no chickens so I may ask Old Bird if I CAN BE Godmother to hersLOL :)

Hi Lacelotte

I am hoping to have 12 and they are coming from the Battery Hen Welfare Trust!

I am not sure which farm they are coming from but I believe it is Bristol way!  I am collecting my girls from Devon!  They collect them a couple of times a month presumably when the farm is having a clear out!  Bless them!

Yes Betula of course you can be Godmother and I will definitelyl be asking for names apart from the odd Hetty, Maude, Mildred - we could be lost for hours!!!

Old Bird

;D

Hmmmm.............suitable names for chickens

How about Clarice?I love the Clarice cliff pottery

Georgina...........seems a good name for a chicken.My daughters name.

she would think it hilarious to have a chicken named after her.

Dorothy seems rather refined. :)

My girls were called Hetty (everyone has to have one), Meg, Beatrice & Charlotte.

I think it's great battery hens are now being rehomed on a regular basis. Hopefully it wont be too much longer before there aren't any battery farms left for people to have to rehome the old girls.

I'd love to have chickens! one day...
good luck with yours, Lacelotte and Old Bird.

they've got to have nice old-fashioned names I think. how about Agatha (my cat ;D), Gladys, Hilda and Evadne (Hinge and Bracket), Mabel, Gertrude, Dilys, Elspeth, that sort of thing? I always think of chickens as older ladies, bustling about, always busy, little bit nosey, like spinster aunts ;D

Lovely names Norfolklass I will be keeping a copy of this thread to remind me of all your suggestions.

Many thanks!

Old Bird

;D

Quote from: Old bird on April 25, 2008, 12:05:30
I will definitelyl be asking for names

How about....   Sunday Lunch 1,   Sunday Lunch 2,   Sunday Lunch 3... ;D ;D ;D

Won't be eating them KT!  They are purely fun and egg producers!

I couldn't eat them any time!

Old Bird

When we had goats and chickens they were just dinner that was still on the hoof. Most of them got eaten in the end. Even the scraggiest old hen makes a lovely soup.

Robert I am sure they taste wonderful but it is all the - killing - plucking and drawing that I could not be doing with!!

Old Bird

I draw the line at plucking, but then you can just skin the bird, which you're boiling anyway, and avoid that. Drawing doesn't take a moment, neither does killing.

Robert - the reason I couldn't do those things is that I am squeamish!

I can't even kill a rabbit that my dogs have caught - I know that I should - for the animal's sake - but I can't!

i once found a starling on the ground and it was completely off its feet and was falling over and so I bravely decided to put said starling out of it's misery.  I got a large stick and this thing was sitting in a heap under an apple tree, gave it a couple of hefty bangs on its head.  The wretched thing would not die - as the ground was soft that was taking some of the impact of my hitting it on the head.

Eventually I managed to kill this poor bird - only to realise a couple of hours later - that the bird was far from unwell - it had been eating rotten apples and was pi**ed - completely legless!  I felt terrible - since when I haven't managed to kill anything.  I felt so guilty.

Old Bird
::)