Keeping poultry

Backyard chooks in a henhouse.

You can keep chooks anywhere in Palmy, as long as you stick to some simple rules. But depending on where you live, you might need a permit for a rooster.

The Animals and Bees Bylaw sets out the conditions you need to meet.

You can keep roosters in Ashhurst, Bunnythorpe, Linton and Longburn, or if you hold a valid permit issued under the bylaw.

This means that if you want to keep a rooster in the urban area of Palmerston North, you need a permit from the Council.

You're able to keep other types of poultry without a permit so long as they're properly housed (for example, hens, geese and ducks).

Requirements for housing poultry

Your poultry house must:

  • have a rainproof roof
  • have a floor made of solid wood, concrete or another approved material
  • be surrounded by a raised nib where a poultry run can be attached
  • be at least two metres from a dwelling, and from any boundary not separated by a solid fence
  • be kept clean and in good condition, and free from any offensive smell, overflow or vermin.

If you let your poultry range instead of confining them to a run, you must have a secure boundary fence to keep them inside your property. 

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