please help people have the right to keep chickens!

Poet_2

MSE was the inspiration for me to start keeping chickens 17 months ago and they have been a complete joy!

Myself and lots of other chicken keepers want to get pet chickens to be removed from this all encompassing 'livestock' term so that everybody can keep a few chickens in their garden if they want to by signing the following petition!

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

please also join our facebook group

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=55594908075&ref=nf

Minxy_Bella

I've joined! xxx

Poet_2

p.s. please pass this on to as many people as you can

Wig

No way Jose!

If you want chickens get a small holding (or house) that allows for livestock. I don't want my neighbours to suddenly start keeping chickens and not to be able to do something about it. It's bad enough they do it with impunity in the allotments.

Poet_2

wig, you are entitled to your opinion but a few chickens cause no problems at all if looked after properly. Barking dogs and defecating cats are more of a nuisance.

elliep_2

I've signed the petition. If my neighbours start to keep chickens then I will too (or maybe I'll be the first) then we can all benefit from fresh eggs and reduced food miles, increased self sufficiency etc etc . It can only be a good thing.

Lotus-eater

When you buy a house, you get to choose between having one that you can keep livestock in, or not. You might even buy one knowing your neighbours can't keep them.
It's a two way street, not everyone wants the same thing,

Minxy_Bella

Poet wrote: »

p.s. please pass this on to as many people as you can

I have xxx

Poet_2

elliep wrote: »

I've signed the petition. If my neighbours start to keep chickens then I will too (or maybe I'll be the first) then we can all benefit from fresh eggs and reduced food miles, increased self sufficiency etc etc . It can only be a good thing.

well said!

we've had chickens for about 17 months or so now and they are a total joy!
I'd highly recommend the keeping of chickens to everybody. People are not restricted in any way re the keeping of dgos, cats, rabbits, gerbils, budgies etc etc and we see no reason why a small number of chickens should be treated any differently!

:T

nickbrat

I'm sorry but i don't feel as if i can support the petition. It's my opinon that we all have the right to live as we choose and that includes the neighbours.

If your house doesn't allow for the keeping of livestock then so be it, you must think of an alternative.

This would have been the case when you signed the tenancy agreement, pretty much the same as would apply for your nieghbours who may even have moved into the property next door becasue this was the case.

Maybe we should be looking at alternatives, farmers giving up spare land etc for a small rent such as they do on occasion for beekeepers.

Poet_2

what exactly is it that the naysayers find so wrong in the keeping of chickens in an urban environment?

we have 8 chickens, 4 ex battery hens, 2 bantams and 2 ordinary layers. They have a large walk-in run and get to free range when we're at home. Any mess is tidied/brushed away and their food is put in the shed at night so as not to encourage any vermin.

They hardly make any noise at all, provide us with lovely fresh eggs and fertiliser/manure for our fruit and veg.

Kept badly, ANY animal is a nuisance BUT kept properly, chickens are a complete joy to have around and our girls are as much our pets as anybody elses cat or dog.

4 of our girls no longer lay but they will live out their retirement as our pets.

why should we be told we can't have them whereas next door have a huge barking dog?

That last paragraph is hypothetical by the way, all our neighbours love our girls!