Poultry (Chickens, Roosters, Ducks, Geese, Turkeys and Peafowls)

Keeping poultry such as chickens, ducks and geese can be a fun and rewarding activity. Poultry will happily turn your kitchen scraps into eggs and produce fertiliser for the garden. Chickens (chooks) are especially good at scratching through the veggie patch, helping to control weeds and insects. 

To ensure the safety and wellbeing of the community, keeping poultry does come with some conditions. 

Conditions for keeping poultry

Keeping poultry comes with some responsibilities. This is because they can be a source of odour and harmful bacteria like Salmonella that can make people sick. Poultry can also be a nuisance if not kept properly (eg. noisy roosters in urban areas).

You do not need approval or a permit from the Shire to keep poultry. However, you are required to follow some conditions. 

The conditions outlined below have been developed to assist residents to keep poultry safe, healthy and in a responsible manner.  

Type of poultry you can keep

If your property is zoned rural, you are allowed to keep any type of poultry.

If your property is zoned residential or rural residential, you are not allowed to keep roosters, turkeys, geese or peacocks due to the noise they make.

If you are unsure of your property zoning, please contact a Shire’s Planning Team for guidance, or refer to Property Mapping and Zoning.

Number of poultry you can keep

You can keep up to a maximum of 20 poultry on your property.

Housing poultry

To ensure your poultry stay safe and healthy, you are required to:

• House them in a suitable enclosure such as a chicken coop that can be securely fastened
• Keep their enclosure, nesting material and water source clean and well maintained.

It is also important to note that you must not house or allow poultry to approach within 15 metres from a house, public building or food business.

Selling eggs

1. The first step is to access the Department of Health central register to either obtain or to have an existing unique identifier for the marking of eggs and egg products. Phone the Food Unit on (08) 9222 2000 or email [email protected]
2. The second step is to register your food business with the Shire.

More information and contact

Report any issues related to poultry via the Report It/Request It form.

Useful advice on keeping backyard chickens can be found on the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Eggs from Backyard Chickens from Department of Health.