Keeping hens · State rules

Can you keep backyard chickens in New South Wales, Australia?

Local Land Services says a NSW property with 100 or more poultry needs a property identification code (PIC); NSW law wasn't read, and whether smaller flocks need a PIC wasn't established.

Read from 4 official sources13 passages quotedChecked October 26, 2026

At a glance

Registering your flock

Conditions apply

State keeping rule

Not established

Bird-flu housing orders

Status needs rechecking

Welfare rules

Not established

A sourced reading of the law in New South Wales, Australia, not legal advice. Local bylaws and zoning, property or tenancy rules, and any local rooster or coop limits aren't covered here yet: check your local rules before you get hens.

Keeping your flock

These findings cover the scope stated below. They do not determine whether chickens are allowed at a particular home. City zoning, property restrictions and other local rules are outside this research.

Registering as a poultry keeper

Conditions apply to this finding

Jurisdiction: New South Wales

Applies to: Properties in NSW keeping 100 or more poultry, as described by Local Land Services on its nsw.gov.au PIC page read on 26 October 2026.

Outside this finding's scope

  • This is agency guidance; the NSW law behind it was not read. Whether a property with fewer than 100 poultry needs a PIC was not established from the page read.

What the checked sources say

  • Local Land Services says a property in NSW with livestock living on it must have a property identification code (PIC) registered to it, whether the animals are moved, traded, agisted, kept as pets or there for any other reason. For poultry, the livestock it lists are 100 or more poultry (and 10 or more emus or ostriches).
  • Local Land Services assigns PICs to properties. To get an application form, it says to contact your local office by email or call 1300 795 299, or use its online enquiry form and choose Property Identification Code.

Thresholds

  • 100 or more poultry on a property (Local Land Services guidance).
  • 10 or more emus or ostriches.

Authority: Local Land Services NSW

Fee: Not established from the sources checked.

The official wording

  • In NSW, a property that has any number of livestock residing on the land is required to have a property identification code (PIC) registered to that property regardless of whether the livestock are being moved, traded, agisted, they are pets, or reside on the land for any other reason.

    On this page, opening requirement · Checked

  • The types of livestock this applies to includes:

    On this page, livestock list heading · Checked

  • 100 or more poultry and 10 or more emus or ostriches.

    On this page, livestock list · Checked

  • A Property Identification Code (PIC) is a unique identifier for land. PICs are assigned by Local Land Services to individual properties and are used to record livestock movements and for other biosecurity purposes.

    Page introductory summary · Checked

  • To access a PIC application form, contact your local office via email or call 1300 795 299. Or use the online enquiry form and select 'Property Identification Code'.

    How to request a PIC · Checked

Bird-flu housing orders

Current status needs rechecking

Check the official current-status page

Orders can change between checks. A missed check or an expired order does not establish that no order applies.

Housing-order finding as checked on 2026-10-26

The scope and conditions below are a dated record, not confirmation of today's position.

Not established from the sources checked

Uses housing orders in this scope: Not established from the sources checked.

Jurisdiction: New South Wales

Applies to: Who can order poultry to be housed in NSW, and the NSW Government’s bird flu pages for backyard chicken owners and other bird keepers.

Outside this finding's scope

  • Who has power to order birds to be housed or confined in NSW was not established, because the NSW legislation was not read. Whether any such order applies now was not established either.

What the checked sources say

  • The NSW Government’s page for backyard chicken owners, pet bird owners, aviary keepers and other captive-bird keepers advises keeping birds enclosed where practical, using netting or other barriers to prevent contact with wild birds, providing food and water in areas protected from wild birds and keeping birds away from natural water sources where possible. This is advice, not an order.
  • For the latest official advice, check the NSW Government’s bird flu (avian influenza) page.
Checked
Recheck due

Historical evidence, as checked

These quotations record what was checked on the dates shown. They do not confirm an order's current status.

Small-flock welfare minimums

Not established from the sources checked

Jurisdiction: New South Wales

Applies to: Care advice for small-scale and commercial poultry on the NSW Government’s poultry page. NSW welfare law itself was not read.

Outside this finding's scope

  • The points below are agency advice, not legal minimums. NSW animal welfare legislation was not read, so its duties for small flocks are not stated here.

What the checked sources say

  • The NSW Government’s poultry page, written for small-scale and commercial producers, says good housing, clean water and balanced feed are essential for healthy poultry, and tells producers to always provide enough space and care for bird welfare and to meet NSW requirements for identification and food safety.

The official wording

  • Access expert guidance on poultry production and health, including best practices for biosecurity, disease management, welfare standards, and NSW regulatory requirements. For small-scale and commercial producers.

    Page introductory summary · Checked

  • Good housing, clean water, and balanced feed are essential for healthy poultry.

    Managing poultry · Checked

  • Make sure you meet NSW requirements for identification and food safety, and always provide enough space and care for bird welfare.

    Managing poultry · Checked

Rules on keeping poultry

Not established from the sources checked

Jurisdiction: New South Wales

Applies to: Statewide rules on keeping chickens at a property in New South Wales.

Outside this finding's scope

  • No statewide permission or ban on keeping chickens was found in the NSW Government pages read; NSW legislation, council rules and planning controls were not read, and who sets local rules was not established.

What the checked sources say

  • The NSW Government says H5 bird flu is a notifiable animal disease and asks bird keepers to report suspected cases early.

The official wording

  • H5 bird flu is a notifiable animal disease. Reporting concerns early helps protect your birds, other bird keepers and native wildlife.

    Report suspected bird flu immediately · Checked

Selling eggs in New South Wales, Australia? →Licence, small-flock line, markets and cartons, on their own page.Selling: Registration

Elsewhere in Australia

Every region on the map →

Common questions

Do I have to register backyard chickens in New South Wales, Australia?
Registration: conditions apply. The finding covers: Properties in NSW keeping 100 or more poultry, as described by Local Land Services on its nsw.gov.au PIC page read on 26 October 2026. 100 or more poultry on a property (Local Land Services guidance). 10 or more emus or ostriches. Outside this finding's scope: This is agency guidance; the NSW law behind it was not read. Whether a property with fewer than 100 poultry needs a PIC was not established from the page read. Authority: Local Land Services NSW.
Can I keep chickens in my backyard in New South Wales, Australia?
The sources we read don't settle it, and we haven't identified who decides. Check your local rules before you get hens.
Do I have to keep my hens indoors for bird flu in New South Wales, Australia?
Housing orders come and go, so we never show one as current. This page links the official status page to check today.

Allowed where you live? Then keep the records.

PoultryPal tracks your birds, eggs, hatches, sales, and expenses — so you can see exactly how your flock is doing. Free to download on iOS and Android.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play