Darwin chicken and rooster limits enforced from October 2, 2024

In a change that has ruffled more than a few feathers, Darwin residents could soon be fined more than $9000 for keeping too many chooks.

Limits of 20 hens and two roosters will be enforced by City of Darwin rangers from October 2.

Limits on how many chickens and roosters can be kept in Darwin homes will be enforced for the first time next month – and while some feel henpecked by the move others say its no fowl play.

From October 2 the grace period for Darwin households to make alternative arrangements in order to comply with limits of two roosters and 20 chickens per household will cease.

Last year the City of Darwin introduced new by-laws cracking down on animal management, in the biggest shake-up to council rules in thirty years.

That included limiting the number of birds kept in suburban homes, and banning properties smaller than 600 sqm from keeping them at all.

Parap chicken owner Angus Cole-Adams experienced first hand the struggle of keeping a rooster in the suburbs - turning his unwanted alarm clock into a 'delicious succulent meal'. Picture: Supplied.

Parap chook owner Angus Cole-Adams encountered the perils of keeping a rooster in the suburbs first hand.

After buying what he thought were five female chicks earlier this year, one of them turned out to have been incorrectly sexed.

“I got them when they were two weeks old, but as it matured one of the ‘chicks’ showed some different physical signs and started crowing,” Mr Cole-Adams said.

“The first I knew about it was from a neighbour who was up early and heard it at 5am.

“The neighbour actually said he didn’t mind it, but when I got home from a weekend away my housemate said the rooster had started crowing each night at midnight – so we knew it had to go.”

Aware the likely outcome of giving the animal away would be its death, Mr Cole-Adams “thought I’d take it into my own hands and provide my house with a succulent meal”.

“It was delicious,” he said.

‘The rooster had to go’. Picture: Supplied.

‘It was delicious’. Picture: Supplied.

As for the remaining hens, his household loves them: free eggs, good company, and an environmental way to get rid of food scraps.

But Mr Cole-Adams said it was sensible to apply some limits to chook-keeping.

“It’s a pretty high limit and it seems pretty reasonable, particularly in the suburban Darwin areas,” he said.

“I think part of the allure of the NT for some people is that they don’t like too much regulation, and have some freedom with this kind of thing, so I don’t think it should be any stricter.”

The limits ruffled more than a few feathers when first proposed, a petition calling for them to be scrapped reaching almost 5000 signatures.

Originally, the council planned to cap hens to six and ban roosters altogether, but increased the limits after community push back.

Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis said the limits were for the wellbeing of the animals, as well as to reduce noise to neighbouring properties.

The maximum penalty for breaching the by-laws is 50 penalty units, currently $9250.