Keeping of poultry
The table below advises the specifications for keeping poultry.
| Animal/activity | With no approval | Requires approval | In what circumstances |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poultry, duck or goose (not rooster) | Up to 6 | More than 6 | On an allotment with an area of more than 700m2 but less than 2000m2 |
| Rooster | 2 | More than 2 | On an allotment with an area of 4000m² or more |
Minimum standards for keeping poultry including duck, drake, goose, turkey, peacock, peahen, ostrich and emus:
- the bird is kept without nuisance
- the bird is contained within an enclosed cage or aviary
- bird food is kept in a properly sealed, vermin proof container
- the cage or aviary in which the bird is kept is thoroughly cleaned at least once a week
- if a code of practice is applied for the keeping of the bird, the bird is kept in accordance with the code
- the cage or aviary in which the bird is kept is not located within 10 metres of a residence on adjoining premises or a place where food is kept, processed or stored or six metres from any
- road or one metre from the boundary of the premises.
- the enclosure is located at the rear of, and behind, any residence situated on the premises
Please contact council on 1300 MACKAY (622 529) or council@mackay.qld.gov.au for further details.
My neighbour's bird makes a lot of noise, what can I do?
Talk to your neighbour as soon as the problem arises. They may not be aware that their bird is making noise or that it is bothering you.
If you are uncomfortable addressing your neighbour directly, a template of a letter you can complete can be found here.
We recommend also enclosing a copy of our factsheet which contains information which may help identify why the bird is causing a disturbance, as well as techniques to reduce barking.
Give your neighbour time to address the issue. If the noise persists, then we encourage you to complete the Noise Bird Survey.
Council require documented evidence of nuisance instances to be collected before the issue can be escalated.
This allows Local Laws Officers to better identify the cause of the nuisance, which in turn helps them to better assist owners when resolving the issue.
The survey must be formally lodged – it cannot be anonymous. This is a requirement as the document supports any escalation action.
The survey and can be completed electronically and emailed to council@mackay.qld.gov.au or via post.
Forms
- Application for approval to keep poultry (PDF 139KB)
Factsheets
- Keeping poultry, pigeons and caged birds (PDF 227KB)
- Noisy birds (PDF 1MB)