Property deeds vs lenient neighbours

[amazonianwoman]

We've always always wanted to keep chickens, and now have all the space we need, except that our property deeds (1930s house) state no pigs/poultry.

Can we get away with it if neighbours on either side agree, do you think? They don't overlook us, no one does, they're v friendly, we have a huge amount of space, no one else would even know.

Will we be struck down by lightening if we get some?

Lots of Qs to follow if we go ahead...

I 'think' that they could qualify as pets, so you would be ok - would be worth checking, but I think pets have different rules to livestock. Try the DEFRA website, or your local council. WIll do some looking around for you.

Remember you would have to be reported for them to know, so if your neighbours are on side, then there shouldn't be a problem. We didn't check our deeds!

I think you'll be fine - neighbours will be even happier if you can give them some eggs!

Just don't get a cockerel, the noise is really intrusive and on and off through the day (ours even crows in the dead of night but I think that's unusual). Fortunately, we don't have close neighbours.

A friend of mine isn't keen on her neighbours chickens because the run is built along the party fence and it really stinks. This must be caused by either not being cleaned out often enough or there are too many hens in too small a house. Our henhouse isn't smelly.

Excellent, sounds promising. Was going to offer ongoing supplies of free eggs

We're just looking at 3 hens/bantams and no cockerel, and keeping them in the corner away from boundaries.

I know that they can wreck your garden, and DH yearns for a crown green lawn and beautiful beds (currently have neither ) Is it feasible to fence off a large area (much bigger than the average garden) for them to roam in during the day - was thinking of picket style fence with chicken wire? (obviously with hen house & fox proof run within this area too)

we fence of the back bit of garden for our hens and tehy also have a run they can be contained in at night and when we are away for a few days. bantams are quietets (except ime belgian d'anjou - really noisy). do not get a cockerel of any kind. our deeds say no animals - we think that as everybody else has had chickens we are safe - it was put in originally to stop competition with the farmer from whom the land was bought (years and years ago). but poultry does include any number of hens i am afriad.
we have hens and our solicitir said it was safe enough as someone would need to report us and then, of course, we would comply

amazonianwoman - we have a 50 foot squared fenced off area (we didn't use picket fencing - expensive!, we used chain link) for our 3 chickens and 1 cockerel to use during the day...precisely because we didn't want them in entire garden (spread of chicken poo everywhere more than anything else)

Our cockerel isn't especially noisy - although we do have 1/2 acre and he is at bottom of plot so maybe that's why