Single hen

[lizzywood]

Hello,

 

I wonder if someone might be able to offer me some advice!?

 

My husband and I are seriously thinking about getting an Eglu and some hens for our garden.

 

There's one thing that bothers me though - are we allowed to keep them in our garden? I've looked on our copy of the land registry doc. that came from our solicitor that processed our house sale but I can't find any reference to keeping livestock. I've also looked on our local councils website but have again found nothing. I'm sure we've nothing to worry about but I'd hate to get them settled, only to find out it's not allowed in our area.

 

Can anyone help?

 

Many thanks in advance, Lizzy

[Egluntyne]

Welcome to the forum.

 

If they aren't specifically excluded, then there should be no problem.

[Carol U]

I agree with Egluntine. Also, I think you have to have quite a large number for them even to be classed as 'livestock'. A few in the garden are just pets.

[ruth1]

If your really worried you can always ring the council and ask, but usually they say unless there is a complaint about noise or smell or vermin they are not interested.

[Kalu]

According to our local council's (Hertfordshire) website you are allowed up to 50 before having to get a licence....how many were you planning on getting?

[Olly]

If there's nothing on the land registry documents, you should be ok. Some properties have restrictive covenants which prevent you keeping poultry or livestock, and there's a whole different debate about what constitutes 'livestock', but if there's nothing shown then you don't need to worry.

 

I'm not aware of any councils that actually have bye-laws about keeping chickens, no doubt some exist but they seem quite rare. The only way the council would get involved is if there's a complaint to the Environmental Health department (about noise or smell) - which, of course, there won't be as you will keep your chickens sparkly clean!

 

Go on - you really won't regret it!

[shaunw]

According to our local council's (Hertfordshire) website you are allowed up to 50 before having to get a licence....how many were you planning on getting?

 

Ditto in Leeds.

 

I contacted the council before we got ours and they said they werent interested until we got more than 50.

 

What they did say was that our neighbours only had cause for complaint if they were

a) too noisy

b) caused a smell

 

So you shouldn't have anything to worry about if your neighbours are ok.

[ted]

When we looked up our deeds we were ok for chickens but strangely are not allowed to make candles????

[tania]

I have been told, but don't take this as being 100% correct, that unless you are in a rented property &/or it strictly states in your deeds then as individuals you are allowed to keep a couple of hens. This stems from pre-war when everyone but everyone had a hen or two for egg production, as everyone had a vegetable plot of some sort as well.

Funnily enough the candle making clause is in pretty much all deeds, I think it's been taken out of new build deed now though. Strange!

[helen5848]

I too was worried about not being able to keep hens - particularly if or more likely when my awkward neighbour complained!

 

I rung the council, and as per the previous replies they stated that as long as the number being kept was less than 50 then they don't have any regulations. They did say that they would become involved, however if a neighbour complained. They stated that if this did happen they wouldn't just make you get rid of them - they would give you plenty of advance notice of the complaint in a bid to rectify it!

 

I haven't heard of any such complaint being made from the neighbour from hell yet - but i'm not counting my chickens yet - tee hee! (it is still quite likely that it will happen despite all of my girlies being sparkly clean and well behaved).

[Lizzie]

I had the same problem too but I contacted the council, Defra and a Solicitor and all were ok. I am sure you will be fine

 

Regards

Liz

[Guest]

When we looked up our deeds we were ok for chickens but strangely are not allowed to make candles????

 

OOOOhh - scary things candles!!!

 

Seriously though - this goes back to when candles were made from rendered down animal carcases - so unless you are about to start boiling up the odd cow or two I reckon you'd be ok!

 

Louise

[chixandthecity]

Hello

 

We DO have a no poultry restriction in our house deeds (house was built 50 years ago) but chose to get the two chickens anyway.

 

We figured that it would be very unlikely that the deed holder (if he's still alive which is unlikely) would findout about the chickens and if he did then would be equally unlikely to go to the trouble of taking any action. We live in an urban semi. Our next door neighbour is an older lady and I have assured her that the chickens won't cause her a problem. Our other neighbours (the not attached side) have turned their house into flats which are all tenanted, so no problems there.

 

I'm not usually one for flouting the rules, but really wanted chickens!

 

Chix

 

www.chixandthecity-motherhen.blogspot.com

[Nutmeg]

When we checked with our council, they said as long as it was below 49 chickens there would not be a problem. However, if any neighbours complained about rats and the source could be traced to our chicken feed, then they could insist that we get rid of them.

 

The lady I spoke with on the phone was in Environmental Health and when she asked the office they were all quite excited that we were thinking of keeping chickens.

 

She did add that if they had to come out because of a neighbours complaint and saw that everything was shipshape, she was sure that a few eggs would send the inspector on his way!!

[Guest]

I know when i looked at this as our local parish police (oh sorry council)had raised concerns to one of my neighbours about them keeping chickens(yes we are a rural village)joke!! um..open fields at the back no trouble village...etc

 

Agree with the deeds subject but when i looked into it apparently your mortgage company can prevent u from keeping them as well!!As in effect they are the deed holders til its paid off

 

But ignore all this as its just crazy...most councils do have a reporting procedure for such PROBLEMS but lets face it ..they are going to deal with all sorts of complaints noicse from loud music etc. I think garden bird feeding is more likely to encourage vermin too..

 

I am sure a few well keeped clean chickens are not going to make too much anti social behaviour problems(I had rats before ducks and rats after ducks)..thats the only think i replenished with my new arrivals yesterday ..the old bait box was restored to its glory!

 

 

Enjoy your chickens & am sure you wont have any problems

 

indie