Pros and cons of keeping chickens on allotments

[grahamhobbs]

Our allotments are thinking of ruling out the keeping of chickens on our allotments. Currently no one keeps them but it is permitted under the Allotments Act, our Lease and currently our rules. I think the committee should at least provide the pros and cons before outlawing this right. Does anyone have any experience, good or bad?

[oldjerry]

What reason have they given,Graham?

[Carltonian Man]

Are the allotments council owned? I read somewhere that the Allotments Act is law, therefore attempting to curb it is denying allotmenteers their rights, which is in itself unlawful. Hope that makes sense, there’s a bit about it here plus the 1950 Act (section 12 relates to chickens)

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Could there be some concern about chicken escapes and the damage to other people's crops? I suppose it could be a valid concern, but hardly something that couldn't be overcome. Rats being attracted by the chicken feed? Again possible, but surmountable. Personally I would have thought chickens & allotments would be a marriage made in heaven. What's the position re rabbits?

[diggernotdreamer]

It's more likely that the problem is to do with cockerels. Recently an allotment had about 50 cocks crowing at all hours and the council had to serve enforcement orders to get the owners to get rid of them as they were annoying the neighbours. The cost of serving the enforcement orders is probably the deciding factor in passing a small bye law which costs very little.

[grahamhobbs]

Thanks everyone, I guess the committee's reasoning is they don't want them themselves, so they are only going to be a nuisance. This has only come up because the local authority wants to get rid of the responsibility for allotments and is proposing that we self-manage them and is insisting that all plotholders sign a tenancy agreement. It was in the discussion about this that the issue arose.
I am arguing that we currently have the right to keep hens and rabbits, a right granted under the Allotment Act, therefore to remove that right you need very good reasons and that all the reasons raised, regarding animals escaping, rats, etc, are not insurmountable and with careful regulation regarding their housing, etc they needn't be a nuisance.
The issue is going to be discussed amongst the members at a general meeting in a couple of weeks. I am hoping to find out if there are any other local sites that already have chickens on them and whether there have been any problems.

[narmour]

Our allotment site allows chickens, and many people keep them without issue. The only drawback is that dogs aren't allowed on site as a result, although I don't know how welcome dogs are at most sites, given the capacity of dogs to trample seedlings.

[grahamhobbs]

Oh thanks narmour, do you have any regulations about their hutches/cages or how they are looked after/fed etc?

[Dutch Dave]

At our allotment, which is an association (the tenants are also the people responsible and in charge) we are allowed to keep everything to the size of a goat.(because we decided that if anything bigger than a goat got loose we would have a problem)

(I'm the proud owner of a 1500m2 allotment)

I have turkeys, rabbits, quails and chickens and if i find the time i will take a milk goat most of us have them and no one ever had a problem with some one elses animals. As long as they are taken care of properly, there should be no problems. because i have a lot of animals and there is allways the chance of one breaking loose and destroying some one else garden, i gave my neighbours on the allotment permission to shoot any escaped animal if the can not catch it. This only happend once though.

Properly constructed pens are demanded and my neighbours will (and should) complain if they suspect my pens are not in proper condition. Small animals like chickens are of great use to the "hobby farmer" . I can't see how my food production would function without animals to provide meat eggs and manure for the garden and orchard.

[grahamhobbs]

Thanks Dutch Dave, it is good to hear that people don't have problems keeping animals on their allotments, though I don't think it would go down well with my suburban neighbours if I suggested they could shoot the animals if they escaped!!

[Dutch Dave]

Your neighbours don't eat meat ?

Or just don't want to see where it comes from ?

The modern "faceless"meat" that we buy in the supermarket makes people a bit blind. When they are introduced to the way things really work when it comes to meat they become all emotional :)



I forgot to say that Dutch allotments are mostly filled with old men. Most of them grew up in great poverty in or after the war. Shooting a chicken or a turkey doesnt bother them so much as it would bother the modern city men. Those old men are very sensitive when things threaten there garden though. :)

[oldjerry]

You guys slaughter chickens chickens by shooting them??.......I love it!...(do they get to wear a blindfold?!)

[GeorgeSalt]

On the continent they probably get a last cigerette.

[Dutch Dave]

A runaway chicken isn't a big problem. A runaway turkey has to be dealt with immediately.(there not easily caught and run as fast as an olympic sprinter, shooting may then be the only way of preventing him/her of destroying the neighbours vedgetable plot)

Other chicken shootings do involve a blindfold, last sigarette and a firing squad. but thats a continental thing thats somewhat hard to explain ;) :D

[The Riff-Raff Element]

On the continent they probably get a last cigerette.

I've weaned mine off the fags for the sake of their health. For the record, my preferred technique is to sneak up behind them and bludgeon them with an axe handle kept for this purpose.