help me save my chickens!!

[lovethegarden]

i live in a ha house they have called me today to say that i can no longer keep my chickens(4 ex battery hens) as i did not ask permission and it is against their policy as they do not allow tennants to have farm animals in a built up area ( i live on the edge of small estate in eastbourne, fairly large garden).these chucks have been named by my daughter she loves them!!!as we all do .and they are pets .any advice would be grateful as we are all distraught.no neighbours have complained about them and they are very quiet.we are surrounded by swarking seagulls so in comparision they are silent

I'm not sure about the law surrounding this area, but some places don't permit poultry or livestock to inhabit the place.

I phoned my LA when I was planning on getting some hens and they told me that there would be no problems as long as I didn't overstock or keep a cockerel.

Your problem is going to be the HA, because they call the shots

Chickens aren't classed as farm animals and the avian flu concerns are just stupid.

Why not phone DEFRA to see if they have any advice? I'm not sure who else you could talk to clarify the legal position. If you refused to get rid of them the HA could threaten eviction I suppose, but you could still put up a good fight before it came to that.

would you be able to name the HA? i have never heard of this before as chickens arent classed as farm animals. does your tenancy agreement specifically mention rules on pets that are kept outside?

its amicus horizon their pet policy is on their website i would put on here but dont know how &no it does specify outside pets just farm animals e.g goats pigs,sheep,chickens & ducks & various other dangerous animals

thanks for the support its given me some hope i am just hoping & praying common sense will prevail.there must be better more important issues they could be dealing with??????

will check their website later when i have more time and post again

Their pet policy states that you have to have an agreement between yourselves and the housing officer as to what pet you can keep. I think that you should have asked permission before you got them tbh

Do you know any other tenants who keep pets, but didn't ask for permission? If you do, then this might strengthen your case as they won't be able to tell everyone to get rid of their pets, there'd be an outcry.

Other than that, you can either try appealing to their better nature and use emotional blackmail "pity the poor children" type thing, or fight them and risk being ignored at best, or eviction at worst.

If all else fails go to the press and they'll come around to your house and take pics of the said chickens with your children and that might apply a bit of pressure to the housing officer because no one wants to upset children.

Provide some downloaded information about keeping chickens to demonstrate that you know all about it and keep the place as clean as a new pin to show that you're not risking anyone's health and safety.

thankyou, i think your absolutely right! i am writing a letter this evening to ask permission to keep them pleading to their better nature however if this fails which presume it will then i may have to go down the root you suggested.incidently i called defra today no avian flu in this country, so that reason has gone at least i have been busy today cleaning out their shed it looks spotless !! and the chucks promptly ran round my feet rearranging everything!! bless they have no idea??but we do love them!!

Good Luck xxx

Oh no

Good luck

thanlyou everyone i'll keep you updated

you need to contact DEFRA - the allotments act states that you can keep chickens in your back garden even if the tenancy agreement says you can't.

here it is

the word notwithstanding means "even if it says you can't"

(basically, you need to do something to prove that you can't - eg treat your animals badly, or let them out onto common ground, or let them pester other people)

for the purpose of the act, allotment does include back gardens

this refers to a council house, but the law is still the same for HA properties, or any pricately-rented properties

there's more here about amicus's pet policy

but remember, the allotment act supercedes this.

get onto the CAB as well to ask for help.

thought you might find this thread interesting too