Poultry, Pigeons and Other Birds
Poultry, pigeons and other birds must be kept in accordance with our Health Local Law.
We provide the following information as a general guide, but our Health officers may increase or decrease the amount of birds permitted to be kept at a property pending compliance with the conditions in the Local Law and nuisance to the community.
Poultry - Residential
Properties within a townsite and/or smaller than four hectares
An owner or occupier of a property in a townsite can keep up to 12 chickens, providing:
- The keeping of the chickens does not cause a nuisance to other residents
- The chickens are kept in a clean, properly constructed and securely fastened structure or enclosure, which is in a yard with an unobstructed area of at least 30m2
- The chickens are kept at least 15m away from a street, house, public building or premises where people are employed and/or food is stored, prepared, manufactured and/or sold
Roosters, geese, turkeys, peafowls and gamebirds cannot be kept in a townsite or on property 4 hectares or less.
Properties larger the four hectares and outside of a townsite
Owners or occupiers of property over two hectares, can keep up to 12 poultry (fowls, peafowls, turkeys, geese, ducks, chickens, bantams and other domestic fowls), providing:
- Approval from the Shire of Murray not required to keep Roosters, geese, turkeys, peafowls and gamebirds on larger properties
- The keeping of the poultry does not cause a nuisance to other residents
- The poultry are kept in a clean, properly constructed and securely fastened structure or enclosure, which is located in an unobstructed area of at least 30m2
- The poultry can not encroach within 15m from a street, house, public building or premises where people are employed and/or food is stored, prepared, manufactured and/or sold
Poultry – Commercial
Commercial poultry establishments such as broilers, breeders or egg producing farms, must manage operations in accordance with the Environmental Code of Practice for Poultry Farms in Western Australia 2004.
For a comprehensive listing of legislation that must also be complied with, please visit the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development website.
Pigeons
An owner or occupier of premises within and outside a townsite, can keep up to 12 pigeons on one lot of land, providing:
- The keeping of the pigeons does not cause a nuisance to other residents
- The pigeons should not be able to approach within 15m of a dwelling, public building or premises where people are employed or where food is stored, prepared, manufactured or sold
- Except where homing pigeons are freed for exercise, the pigeons must be kept in a properly constructed pigeon loft that is in a yard with an unobstructed area of at least 30m2
Other Birds
An owner or occupier of a property can keep up to 20 birds (not including pigeons or poultry).
Apply to Keep More Birds
Please contact our Health team:
9531 7777
mailbag@murray.wa.gov.au
Report a Nuisance