You must register your flock by the Autumn!
Have you seen the new Defra legislation requiring all chicken keepers to register their flocks? The new laws come into force on the 1st September for Scotland, and the 1st October for England.
We have filled out the form for our flock, and here are a few things we have learnt:
1 – It is confusing at first because there are two options – Compulsory for those who keep more than 50 birds, and Voluntary for those who keep less than 50. If you register your garden flock before 1st October, you need to choose the ‘voluntary’ option – even though it will soon be compulsory! This threw me at first.
2 – If you just have a few hens that you keep at home in your own garden as pets the form is pretty quick and simple to fill out. It starts to get complicated if you don’t own the land, if you keep chickens in more than one place, and if you look after the chickens but don’t actually own them… Names and addresses of all the owners and locations need to be completed. Also, if you keep some birds for meat or breeding to sell there are more boxes to tick. But if it is just you, at home with a few hens kept as pets it is pretty simple.
3 – Once you have completed the form, you have to either print it and post it to Defra, or scan it in and email it. This is a bit of a nuisance as it would be so much quicker if it could be submitted direct!
Like it or loath it, this is something that ALL poultry and bird keepers are required to do – in fact, all birds that have access to the outside, including birds of prey, ostriches, peacocks, ducks, etc…
Learn More:
To find the registration form and learn more, here is a link to Defra