Can you keep backyard chickens in Wales, UK?
Keep chickens in Wales, even as pets? GOV.UK says to register them with APHA within one month and confirm your details every 12 months. Never feed them catering waste, household waste included.
Read from 12 official sources39 passages quotedChecked October 26, 2026
At a glance
Registering your flock
Country keeping rule
Bird-flu housing orders
Welfare rules
A sourced reading of the law in Wales, UK, 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
Rule identified for the scope below
Jurisdiction: Wales
Applies to: People who keep chickens at any premises in Wales, including pets and small backyard flocks, under regulation 7 of The Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (Wales) Regulations 2006 (as shown on legislation.gov.uk on 26 October 2026, which listed no outstanding changes).
Outside this finding's scope
- The only exception found is for Psittaciformes or Passeriformes (such as budgies, parrots and canaries) kept fully indoors with no access to the open air; it does not cover chickens.
What the checked sources say
- A person who keeps poultry or other captive birds at any premises must notify the Welsh Ministers in writing within 30 days of becoming the keeper. GOV.UK says to register within one month, including birds kept as pets, and that the register is run by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
- GOV.UK says you must confirm your details and your birds’ details to APHA every 12 months, and tell APHA within 30 days if your contact details, the species you keep or your main purpose for keeping birds change, if you stop keeping birds, or if you start keeping 50 or more.
- If your number of birds changes but stays under 50, GOV.UK says you do not need to update your record for that change alone. Keepers of 50 or more birds give extra information, including the husbandry system, and must report a change of 20% or more in the number they usually keep, unless it is a normal seasonal stocking change.
Thresholds
- Any number of birds: there is no minimum flock size.
- At 50 or more birds, extra information is required, including the husbandry system.
Exemptions and their limits
- Psittaciformes or Passeriformes kept fully indoors with no access to the open air; this does not cover chickens.
Authority: Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), which GOV.UK says runs the register; the regulations name the Welsh Ministers.
Fee: Not established from the sources checked.
The official wording
There are currently no known outstanding effects for The Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (Wales) Regulations 2006, Section 7.
Changes to legislation · Checked
A person who keeps poultry or other captive birds at any premises must notify the Welsh Ministers in writing of the following information in relation to the premises
Regulation 7(1) · Checked
within 30 days of becoming the keeper, notify the Welsh Ministers in writing of the information referred to in paragraph (1), and where applicable, in addition, of the information referred to in paragraph (2);
Regulation 7(4)(a) · Checked
A person who keeps 50 or more poultry or other captive birds at any premises must notify the Welsh Ministers in writing of the following information in addition to the requirements set out in paragraph (1)— (a) in relation to poultry— (i) the husbandry system or systems in use at the premises;
Regulation 7(2), (a)(i) · Checked
(a) belong to the order Psittaciformes or Passeriformes; and (b) are housed on the premises fully within a dwelling or within a bird house with no direct access to open air.
Regulation 7A(a)–(b) · Checked
Applies to England and Wales
page header · Checked
You must register within one month of keeping poultry or other captive birds at any premises in England or Wales. This includes: any birds you keep as pets
Opening requirements · Checked
You must confirm your details and the details of the birds you keep to APHA every 12 months.
After you have registered · Checked
If your details or the details of birds you keep have changed, you must tell APHA within 30 days. This includes when you: change your contact details no longer keep or own birds change the species of birds your keep change your main purpose for keeping birds start keeping 50 or more birds
After you have registered · Checked
You do not need to update your kept birds record if the number of birds you keep changes but you still have fewer than 50 birds.
30 September 2026 update note · Checked
If your details or the details of birds you keep have changed, you must tell APHA within 30 days.
After you have registered · Checked
change the number of birds you usually keep by 20% or more (unless this is because of normal seasonal stocking changes)
After you have registered; final bullet · Checked
Bird-flu housing orders
Current status needs rechecking
Check the official current-status pageOrders 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.
Conditions apply to this finding
Uses housing orders in this scope: Yes, according to the checked evidence, within the limits listed under “Outside this finding’s scope” below.
Jurisdiction: Wales
Applies to: Avian influenza prevention zone declarations and premises notices under article 6 of The Avian Influenza and Influenza of Avian Origin in Mammals (Wales) (No 2) Order 2006 (as shown on legislation.gov.uk on 26 October 2026, which listed no outstanding changes), and GOV.UK guidance on housing in disease control zones, which applies to England, Scotland and Wales.
Outside this finding's scope
- Housing is required only where a declaration, notice or zone requires it; these powers do not require birds to be housed everywhere at all times.
- Whether any housing requirement applies to a particular place now was not established.
What the checked sources say
- Under article 6, the National Assembly (as the Order’s published text names it) may declare an avian influenza prevention zone in all or part of Wales, or serve a notice on the occupier of premises where poultry or other captive birds are kept. The measures can include requiring poultry and other captive birds to be housed or otherwise kept separate from wild birds, and to be given feed and water that wild birds cannot reach.
- GOV.UK says that if you are in a protection zone or a captive bird (monitoring) controlled zone you must house your birds, check your zone on the bird flu disease zone map and follow the rules for that zone. You remain responsible for your birds’ welfare while they are housed.
- Whether a housing requirement applies to your premises now was not established; check the Welsh Government’s avian influenza current restrictions page and the zone map.
- 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.
There are currently no known outstanding effects for The Avian Influenza and Influenza of Avian Origin in Mammals (Wales) (No 2) Order 2006, Section 6.
Changes to legislation · Checked
(a) declare an avian influenza prevention zone in all or part of Wales; or (b) serve or require an inspector to serve a notice on the occupier of any premises where poultry, other captive birds or any categories of poultry or captive birds specified in the notice are kept.
article 6(1)(a)–(b) · Checked
(4) The power of the National Assembly to impose measures by declaration or notice under this article includes the power— (a) to require poultry and other captive birds to be housed or otherwise kept separate from wild birds;
article 6(4)(a) · Checked
(c) to require that poultry and other captive birds are provided with feed and water to which wild birds have no access;
article 6(4)(c) · Checked
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
page header · Checked
If you’re in a protection zone or a captive bird (monitoring) controlled zone, you must house your birds. Check what zone you’re in using the bird flu disease zone map and follow the rules for that zone .
Opening operational guidance · Checked
You are responsible for the welfare of your birds while they’re housed.
Welfare of housed birds · Checked
Keepers can check if they are in a disease control or prevention zone on the avian influenza disease map (from the Animal and Plant Health Agency) .
Small-flock welfare minimums
Rule identified for the scope below
Jurisdiction: Wales
Applies to: People responsible for chickens in Wales, including owners of pets and small backyard flocks, under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (as shown on legislation.gov.uk on 26 October 2026, which listed no outstanding changes).
Outside this finding's scope
- The Act does not apply to an animal in its foetal or embryonic form, and the duty below does not apply to destroying an animal in an appropriate and humane manner.
- Welfare regulations and codes for poultry were not read, so no numerical standard is stated.
What the checked sources say
- The Act covers vertebrates other than man; an animal of a kind commonly domesticated in the British Islands, under human control or not living in a wild state is a protected animal. An owner is always treated as responsible for their animal.
- A person commits an offence if they do not take reasonable steps in all the circumstances to make sure the needs of an animal they are responsible for are met to the extent required by good practice. Those needs include a suitable environment and diet, being able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns, being housed with or apart from other animals, and protection from pain, suffering, injury and disease. The relevant circumstances include any lawful purpose for which the animal is kept and any lawful activity undertaken in relation to it.
The official wording
There are currently no known outstanding effects for the Animal Welfare Act 2006.
Changes to legislation · Checked
In this Act, except subsections (4) and (5), “ animal ” means a vertebrate other than man.
Animal Welfare Act 2006, s1(1) · Checked
An animal is a “ protected animal ” for the purposes of this Act if— (a) it is of a kind which is commonly domesticated in the British Islands, (b) it is under the control of man whether on a permanent or temporary basis, or (c) it is not living in a wild state.
Animal Welfare Act 2006, s2 · Checked
For the purposes of this Act, a person who owns an animal shall always be regarded as being a person who is responsible for it.
Animal Welfare Act 2006, s3(3) · Checked
A person commits an offence if he does not take such steps as are reasonable in all the circumstances to ensure that the needs of an animal for which he is responsible are met to the extent required by good practice.
Animal Welfare Act 2006, s9(1) · Checked
(a) its need for a suitable environment, (b) its need for a suitable diet, (c) its need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns,
Animal Welfare Act 2006, s9(2)(a)–(c) · Checked
(d) any need it has to be housed with, or apart from, other animals, and (e) its need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease.
Animal Welfare Act 2006, s9(2)(d)–(e) · Checked
Nothing in this Act applies to an animal while it is in its foetal or embryonic form.
section 1(2) · Checked
(3) The circumstances to which it is relevant to have regard when applying subsection (1) include, in particular— (a) any lawful purpose for which the animal is kept, and (b) any lawful activity undertaken in relation to the animal.
section 9(3) · Checked
(4) Nothing in this section applies to the destruction of an animal in an appropriate and humane manner.
section 9(4) · Checked
Rules on keeping poultry
Rule identified for the scope below
Jurisdiction: Wales
Applies to: Chicken keepers in Wales, including people keeping chickens as pets: the ban on feeding catering waste to farmed animals in Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 as it applies in Great Britain (as shown on legislation.gov.uk on 26 October 2026, which listed no outstanding changes), and GOV.UK guidance that applies to England, Scotland and Wales.
Outside this finding's scope
- Local planning and other local rules on where and how chickens may be kept were not read; GOV.UK says to check with your local planning authority before building any bird housing.
What the checked sources say
- Feeding farmed animals with catering waste, or with feed containing or derived from it, is prohibited. A farmed animal includes any animal kept by people and used for producing food or other products or for other farming purposes, and GOV.UK guidance says farm animal species kept as pets also count.
- GOV.UK says you must never use catering waste as farm animal feed, whether it is vegetable or meat based and whether it comes from restaurants, households or other sites. The Animal and Plant Health Agency warns smallholders not to feed catering or kitchen waste to poultry, even when they are kept as pets.
- GOV.UK says planning rules differ for commercial poultry keepers and people who keep birds as pets, and that you must check with your local planning authority before you build any bird housing.
The official wording
There are currently no known outstanding effects by UK legislation for Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Article 11.
Changes to legislation · Checked
The following uses of animal by-products and derived products shall be prohibited:
Article 11(1) · Checked
the feeding of farmed animals other than fur animals with catering waste or feed material containing or derived from catering waste;
Article 11(1)(b) · Checked
‘farmed animal’ means: (a) any animal that is kept, fattened or bred by humans and used for the production of food, wool, fur, feathers, hides and skins or any other product obtained from animals or for other farming purposes;
Article 3(6)(a) · Checked
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
page header · Checked
any farm animal species kept as pets, for example sheep or exotic pig breeds
When ABPs are farm animal feed · Checked
You must never use catering waste as farm animal feed, regardless of whether it’s vegetable or meat based or whether it comes from restaurants, households, or other sites.
ABPs you cannot use · Checked
The Animal and Plant Health Agency is warning farmers and smallholders not to feed catering or kitchen waste to livestock such as pigs and poultry, even if they are being kept as pets.
Opening paragraph · Checked
Planning permission regulations are different for commercial poultry keepers and those who keep birds as pets. You must check with your local planning authority before you build any bird housing.
Planning permission for bird housing · Checked
Elsewhere in the UK
Every region on the map →Common questions
- Do I have to register backyard chickens in Wales, UK?
- Registration: required. The finding covers: People who keep chickens at any premises in Wales, including pets and small backyard flocks, under regulation 7 of The Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (Wales) Regulations 2006 (as shown on legislation.gov.uk on 26 October 2026, which listed no outstanding changes). Any number of birds: there is no minimum flock size. At 50 or more birds, extra information is required, including the husbandry system. Outside this finding's scope: The only exception found is for Psittaciformes or Passeriformes (such as budgies, parrots and canaries) kept fully indoors with no access to the open air; it does not cover chickens. Exemptions and their limits: Psittaciformes or Passeriformes kept fully indoors with no access to the open air; this does not cover chickens. Authority: Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), which GOV.UK says runs the register; the regulations name the Welsh Ministers.
- Can I keep chickens in my backyard in Wales, UK?
- 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 Wales, UK?
- 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.
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