[gillandtom]

 

The following is a link to the Number 10 Website with a petition to abolish all local by-laws prohibiting the keeping of hens in gardens.  Please add your signature so keeping hens in gardens becomes a more wide spread practice and we can all enjoy the taste of our 'home made' eggs!


http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/GardenPoultry/

[DavidnChris]

I'm sorry but I don't agree with this at all. TAS people should beware of alienating the general public.
I would not be happy if someone came and kept chickens next door to me, my pigs are on a field which has neighbouring houses but they are put well out of the way.
Having lovely fluffy ideas about everyone keeping chickens so there are no battery hens is probably not practical, can someone do the maths ?
Can I respectfully suggest before you leap in and sign this petition you go to the 'Pigs' section of the forum and read these two topics.

New....... help please.... pigs and chucks together.
So you want to start pig keeping.

You will probably get some idea of the can of worms you will be opening if a bye law is removed which at the minute is the only thing standing in the way of some poor animal husbandry.

[sellickbhoy]

I think the petition is a good idea, why not let people keep chickens if they want to?

are they any worse than a noisey dog? disruptive children? ASBO neighbours from hell? You don't get any say in any of them moving next door to you.

I also don't think this would open the floodgates to every hosue suddenly having chickens. Lots of folk find the idea of getting eggs from a chicken almost repulsive. (same with chicken breast, goujons, soup, wings etc) Some people i know would never dream of eating an actual chicken or an egg laid by a chicken. If it doesn't come prepacked, wrapped and with a best before date on it from a supermarket shelf - they are very squirmish about knowing where their food comes from.

my concern might be around animal welfare and the conditions they are kept in. Some people are well intentioned, but don't put the time in to look after their livestock. I'd also worry about home many gardens were big or secure enough for people to keep chickens

[DavidnChris]

That's part of my point if you work out how many eggs get eaten and how many households would need to keep hens it would probably be every other house. So is every other person capable of keeping any sort of stock ?

[stephen]

ive signed the petition, i agree with it. why shouldnt people be allowed to keep chickens in their back gardens!? anyone can get a cat / dog / parrot etc etc and no1 seems to care who has them! 

[jameslindsay]

I think it's both a good and a bad idea, seeing pros and cons for each side. Well done if it cuts down in the number of battery hens being kept in barbaric ways but my worry is doesn't hens attract rats? I think you would find if it was possible for everyone to keep them only a very few would actually take up their "rights".

The first ducks I ever bought were an Aylesbury and a Miniature Silver Appleyard and at that time I lived on a brand new housing estate in Broxburn. I had to ask the builders permission to have 2 pet ducks as it said in the title deeds "no waterfowl". I was told that providing the houses on either side of me had no objections I could keep my ducks. They lived there for 5 years before I decided to move house and when I found a house I wanted to buy I had to walk away as the builder would not give their consent and said they would not allow me to keep ducks! Eventually I found a builder that not only was happy to allow the 2 ducks but they actually removed the clause from the deeds and made a big thing out of it so it got in the local papers and gave them free publicity.

And I hate to say it - I am not a fan of duck eggs so always give them away, we use them on the menu from time to time.
I now have 17 ducks and 2 geese and they are happy as pigs in muck living here.

James

[sellickbhoy]

the petition isn't demanding the closure of battery or mass egg production farms though

it's only saying that all laws prohibiting people WHO WANT TO keep chickens are abolished (not cockerals) and that this should encourage people to become more self sufficient

I don't imagine every other house will suddenly have a coop, i don't imagine the sale of eggs in supermarkets will be hugely affected, especially battery eggs - but maybe more so for Free range, as the type of person who would want to keep a chicken is more likely to buy free range at the moment.

of course, the spirit of the petition may be that that they want mass production closed and for everyone to have a coop, but they probably want us to grow all our own veg too - and that's simply not feasible. But no harm in allowing those who want to try it to be able to do so.

but on the welfare point, i would insist a proper licence and premises inspection be done 1st - but i'd say that should apply to all animals/pets anyway.

[cmorrell]

I'm a little surprised at an apparently knee-jerk reaction to this thread. The ability to keep chickens is absolutely not the same as everyone suddenly rushing to keep chickens, otherwise there would already be large residential areas full of chickens which do not have restrictive by-laws.

I support and have signed the petition (and now realise I need to check with my council to ensure I can keep chickens myself as the previous advice I'd been given, not from this forum, was that there were no restrictions in the UK!). I would equally support a petition for greater checking and control of residential animal welfare.

[carl]

most people who would want to keep chickens would be the type who took it seriously, and looked after them well. a good idea, as long there are still\a few people who want to buy my excess eggs

[rustyme]

I am neither for nor against people keeping chickens in their back gardens....but if there are by-laws preventing it in certain areas then can you imagine the field day the government would have in lifting them ...and then bringing in even more !!!! Just think of all the paperwork and rules we have to adhere to to keep sheep, cows or pigs? Poultry will be next !!! Just think of what would happen if bird flu kicked off again . The main cause of it passing to humans is close proximity !!! most people on  farms and holdings are a little bit removed from their stock .The average garden may cause problems? Also there is the increase in the rat population. It has already gone through the roof in the 5-10 years. There will always be people who keep animals but don't look after them . Just as there will always be people who do look after them....I think it would have to be allowed on a space available basis....can you imagine the cost the government/councils would say it came too...? It may be best to just let the individual argue their own point out ?


cheers

Russ

[Hilarysmum]

Rats 

[Hilarysmum]

If hens are kept anywhere they have to be kept scrupulously clean to avoid rats.  In a housing estate it would only take one person not to clean out every day.

[Rhyan & Melissa]

Mmmmmmmmmm................

We live in a mid terrace house with a  garden and have 5 chickens and a cat.

One neighbor has a dog which is chained up all day long and barks non stop. The other side have an alsatian, Which I have yet to see be taken for a walk.

My deeds say I can have chickens (and pigs for that matter - the house is 140 year sold and used to back onto farmland, before houses were built) - some of the neighbors don't mind others moan behind our backs. Then again they moan because I go shooting and kill fluffy rabbits, hares and pheasant. Yet, they smile when I drop a prepared one round for them......


The chickens are no noisier than the cars going past the front of the house, the dog barking or the wind blowing that sodding broken shed door someone needs to fix.

We bought a decent coop, built a run which attaches to the coop - for when we are at work and let let roam the garden when we are not. We do not leave food out at night and clean things regular.

For us there is no other way at present. We have a 600m2 allotment, but they have stopped chickens, pigs and bees from being kept there and until we can find some land to buy (at a reasonable price) we are stuck.

We can grow what we want, which is great. But we wanted to keep chickens.

I think the point I am trying to make is that if someone wants chickens in there yard and looks after them, then its no different to a dog, rabbits etc. Its the people that do not look after them, or see them as a fashion statement that p*ss me off.

Maybe the best option would be a license? Simple form to fill out, someone from the council or RSPCA checks your garden and chicken living arrangements.

Not everyone is a Tom & Babara - but I do not think we should block those who want to be and have the space, time and resources to do so.


Now - anyone got any tips on keeping a pig in the loft?

[cmorrell]

Now - anyone got any tips on keeping a pig in the loft?

Get strong ladders!

[Hilarysmum]

Talk to Carole hers is an expert at climbing stairs.