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Keeping chickens

Guidelines

each bird should be allowed a floor area of 0.37 square metres - e.g. a coop for 12 laying hens needs to be 2.4 metres long by 1.8 metres wide
recommend the coop be placed at least one metre away from all boundary fences to allow easy access for cleaning
recommend the open front of the coop face in an easterly or southerly direction for better ventilation and to help keep the floor dry
the structure must be neat and tidy
consider painting the outside of the coop green to make it less conspicuous
recommend planting trees and shrubs around the outside to help make it cooler in summer.
food and straw must be kept in vermin proof receptacles
waste must be cleared up and disposed at least once a week.

Coops of more than 10 square metres must have Council approval. Refer to information on outbuildings.

Roosters should not be kept as they create noise from an early age and can be a problem for neighbours in built up areas.

Complaints made about roosters usually result in the animal being removed.

Keeping poultry fact sheet.