Keeping larger livestock

If you are considering keeping livestock at your property, it is essential that the property is suitable. Make sure you have enough space and everything you need to make sure that they are well cared for.

It is not always appropriate to keep livestock in a suburban areas, unless your property is large enough to meet the animal’s needs.

Poultry

While there are no regulations for keeping chickens or other poultry on your property, please be mindful that your poultry may have an unwanted effect on your neighbours.

Manage your birds well so that they do not cause a nuisance by roaming and always ensure that their enclosure is clean and not causing an unwelcome odours. Check that any water run-off is free from odour and that feed is kept in vermin proof containers.

Rooster noise

People who live in different areas will have different expectations of the types of noise that will occur. In a rural area it would be reasonable to expect that poultry, including a rooster, would be kept by a property owner. However, in a residential area, it could be considered unreasonable.

Noise complaints are considered through this context under The Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act (EMPCA) 1994. It explains that a noise is an offence if it is unreasonably interfering
with a person’s enjoyment of the environment by evaluating its volume, intensity, duration, time, and place in which it is emitted.

Should the noise be considered unreasonable in the opinion of the Environmental Health Officer, it must be reduced or ceased.

See also the Noise webpage.

Options to reduce or stop crowing
Be considerate of your neighbours by preventing noise between 7.00pm-7.00am. Roosters (or sometimes the dominant hen) will crow, but this can be minimised by trying some of the following options:

  • Invest in a purpose-built, solitary night box with thick, insulated walls to muffle crowing. Keeping it light proof will also help. If you keep your chicken in a shed or garage, be mindful this doesn’t
    amplify the noise.
  • Placing a crow collar on your chicken will minimise volume by limiting the air force used to crow.
  • If possible, move your chicken to another section of your property away from your neighbour’s house.
  • Some organisations accept surrendered chickens in return for a donation. The Southern Tasmanian Poultry Club conducts poultry amnesties. Follow their Facebook page for amnesty announcements.

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