How do you know if you are allowed to keep chickens?

[CatNamedEaster]

We have all the deeds and legal paperwork from when our house was built and from when we bought it.
I was expecting there to be a field to say something like (obv summarising) "can chickens be kept on the property?" and then either yes, no or conditions. But there's no mention of it as a question.
So, is the absence of a question about it in essence permission by omission?!

I know there are tons of things for me to look into but wanted to check first about the legality of it before spending time doing too much research. 🙂

How old is your property? Newer properties tend to have a clause in regarding pets/animals. But yes in the absence of a clause saying you can't keep chickens you would be fine.

Thank you! It's 1930's.

Yes it’s fine if no covenant saying otherwise. Our last house did have a convenant saying that, no chickens and bizarrely i could not operate a public house from it, it was built early 1900s. Not quite sure what was going on at the time where they thought running a pub and keeping chickens was a real risk…

Unless specifically restricted, you can keep chickens in a domestic garden.

However there are laws on public nuisance which cover noise, flies, attracting vermin etc so you need to keep foodstuffs in rat proof containers, dispose of manure safely and so on.

Thanks. I will need to start on the proper research now so it will be a while before we make a decision (even though DS has already named 'them 😂).

You may want to read up on the avian flu - I understood it was in the UK as well as in Ireland. There is restrictions currently meaning the birds have to be kept indoors - might need to consider if it is the right time. Best of luck to you and your future chucks.

On the deeds of our 1911 house it stated in 1907 that ONLY chickens could be kept on the land! So somewhere between 1907 and 1911 they either changed their minds or just ignored it and built a lovely 4 bed edwardian house.

Yes re Avian flu, I'd hang fire on getting chickens until the situation is more stable. Defra are having to kill loads near me, SE England.

We have a house on an 80s estate and there's a range of covenants that include a specific ban on keeping chickens/poultry. I'm not sure if anyone in the estate has chickens and if so, who would enforce the covenants!