Poultry

Find the guidelines and rules about keeping poultry on your property.

Definition

Poultry are defined as any domestic fowl or chicken, bantam, duck, goose or gander, guinea fowl, pheasant, turkey, peacock or peahen. 

Restrictions

• You may keep up to 12 poultry in a residential area, including a maximum of two ducks, but they must be housed in a specially constructed shed or hut
• A rooster, turkey, goose or gander, peacock or peahen may not be kept in any residential area.

Conditions 

Poultry may only be kept under the following conditions: 

• Poultry are to be kept in an enclosed yard.
• Poultry are to be housed in a shed or hut designed to permit a deep litter system.
• The poultry shed must be 1m from any boundary and 9m from any house or street.

Specifications for a poultry shed or hut

A poultry shed or hut must comply with the following requirements: 

• The floor must be concrete, brick paving or compressed limestone or any other suitable impervious surface
• The frame should be constructed of timber, steel or brick
• The cladding should be of sheet metal, brick, weatherboard or other materials approved by an Environmental Health Officer
• The roof should be sloped to allow the drainage of water
• A shed is to be constructed in a sound, weatherproof manner and be between 1.5m and 2m in height
• A shed must provide adequate ventilation during hot weatherThe area of any shed must allow for 0.3m2 for each bird kept
• The roof, floor, doors, and ventilation panels must be maintained in good order and condition
• The floor must be covered with a layer of dry sand or sawdust at least 75mm deep.

Refer to diagram specifications for a domestic deep litter poultry shed

Approvals to keep poultry

No approvals are required to keep poultry in the City of Joondalup.

For further advice on keeping poultry visit the Department of Agriculture and Food website.