Rules on Chickens and Council

[DreamOfPrepping]

I would like to raise some chickens when the warmer weather comes and I was wondering if anyone knows of the rules regarding a council tenant owning chickens?

I can't find anything against it but when asking my elders I have been told I need a smallholding... from what I can tell my back garden is big enough to be a smallholding and there would still be room for the children to play.

Also while I'm on this subject does anyone know where to get chicks? I know I can buy fully grown chickens from my local garden centre but they are egg layers (not really for meat).

To continue the questions can we get Hares in this country? The rabbits at our pet store are WAAAAAY!!! too small for meat production. Although even the smallest Hares I have seen would be suitable.

Thanks in advance.

[Sheepster]

If just for meat hubbards are good, Or Sussex a good dual purpose bird for eggs and meat. I buy wellsummers cause I like the eggs and at 6 weeks were about a fiver each, you can buy point of lay but you will pay more, Do some research as its a fairly personal choice to which birds you get. With wellsummers i have found them to be rock hard during the winter, And touch wood no issues with health. I dont get as many eggs as with the more prolific layers but we get enough. Pretty sure your allowed chickens being a council tenant but check with your specific council as this may vary from council to council. Personally I dont think you need a small holding for a few chickens just a small penned off area with either a coop or a small shed or the like for shelter, Be aware of the cheap ebay coops they are crap and wont last more than a year so either make one or invest in something sturdy. You wont save money by raising a few chickens but the eggs will be the best youve ever tasted guaranteed .

[jansman]

I keep meat rabbits. I keep Old English crosses. Prrfectly adequate. Regarding Hares, they are a wild animal, and if you pen them up you are likely to find youself in Court PDQ.

Poultry-wise, you should be able to keep them. Keep them clean and tidy, keep on top of rodents and other pests. Also do not keep a cockerel, or you will likely have a Statutory Noise Nuisance Order served. Of course you could ring your Local Authority.

[northern bloke]

Sorry if this is a downer and I hope your council is different but I asked my council (I'm a council tenant) if I could keep a couple of chickens no more in a coup in the garden and explained it would be in a position it couldn't be seen by others and explained in no way was it going to be the start of something akin to the good life I just wanted to home a couple of rescue hens and they replied that they had a strict no livestock policy in gardens, if I owned the house I wouldn't ask just keep it low profile and small scale.

I would tend to agree with jansman comments it is possible to keep Belgian hares legally but not cost affective.

[PreppingPingu]

As a side note if you have an allotment some councils allow chickens on there. Ours does, not that anyone keeps their chooks on one - I guess its fact that they are so far from your house, keeping an eye on them is a problem. Just a thought if your council says no. My sister in law is on a council house and they have had chicken before in their garden so I guess it depends on the Local Authority. (Unless she never asked of course!)

[junmist]

I guess with chickens it is a case of if the eyes don't see the brain don't know if no one complains then your fine, as long as you do not get a cockerel then you most probably wont get a complaint.
As for rabbits you need to go to the breeders a Flemish giant can be used as a meet rabbit but you have to remember the bigger the rabbit the more food it needs so you need something like an Argente champagne witch should give you 10 to 15lbs or a silver fox which gives 9 to 12lbs of meat. but most people think that an old English(white with a black stripe down its back) is ok to feed two to three people. Hope this helps a bit

[justsurviving]

I think this might be a double post. Sorry if so. Do rats cause problems with chickens and rabbits, if so how can this be over come. Cheers

[cebbern]

the meat breeds of rabbit are new zealand white and californians they grow fast and are ready for the table at 8-10 weeks old

[diamond lil]

I asked anonymously and my HA said upto 5 hens came under "pets" and over 5 hens were livestock. So I didn't ask, just quietly got myself some new pets.
Couldn't manage them when I was ill though and had to give them away. I miss them a lot

[preppingsu]

I think this might be a double post. Sorry if so. Do rats cause problems with chickens and rabbits, if so how can this be over come. Cheers

We built our coup so it was off the ground so rats had no way of nesting or burrowing underneath. The run wire is buried under the soil, this also stops foxes digging underneath the wooden frame.

P8222629.JPG (100.03 KiB) Viewed 1680 times

This is it before chickens!!

We also take the food and water in at night and ensure the coup door is shut. Never had a problem with rats by the chickens.

In the compost, yes!