Animal Management

Keeping birds

Alice Springs res­i­dents may keep domes­tic birds, suit­ably con­tained with­in their prop­er­ty, with­out a per­mit. Coun­cil will only become involved if your birds become a nui­sance to neigh­bours, or a health hazard.

Domes­tic birds include fowl, ducks, geese, turkey, quail, pigeon and pheas­ant. There are also a few native bird species that do not require a per­mit, such as finch­es, bud­gies, galahs and lorikeets.

For a com­pre­hen­sive list, click here.

To keep oth­er native bird species, per­mis­sion from NTG Parks and Wildlife is required. NTG Parks & Wildlife Rangers can be con­tact­ed on 8951 8250 or 0401 115 731.

Keep­ing domes­tic fowl

Chick­ens must be con­tained in a secure, fenced yard or chick­en-run, and not clos­er to a human dwelling than 1.2 metres. There is no restric­tion on the num­ber of chick­ens allowed on a prop­er­ty, how­ev­er pos­sess­ing dozens of chick­ens may cause nui­sance to neigh­bours with noise and offen­sive odours.

Remem­ber, mice love bird seed! And, where’s there’s mice, they may be snakes. Council’s Rangers rec­om­mend keep­ing aviaries and coops clean off debris caused by seed and drop­pings. A clean coop has the added advan­tage of keep­ing your birds dis­ease and par­a­site free.

Seed feed­ers are great for reduc­ing debris and remem­ber to secure your seed stocks in air­tight containers.

Roost­ers can cause prob­lems in res­i­den­tial areas, so please con­sid­er the fol­low­ing before you pur­chase one:

  • A roost­er is not required for hens to lay eggs
  • A roost­er means more chicks and can quick­ly lead to over-population
  • Roost­ers can be aggres­sive and may attack adults or children
  • Roost­ers don’t just crow at the break of dawn – they can crow at all hours of the day and night, lead­ing to com­plaints to Coun­cil lodged by your neighbours
  • Prob­a­bly best not to get a rooster.

Ducks and geese need and love water, so be pre­pared to clean their ponds at least every sec­ond day, espe­cial­ly in sum­mer months. If not well main­tained, a duck pond can quick­ly become ran­cid and a breed­ing ground for mos­qui­toes. Stay on the good side of your neigh­bours and keep your pond fresh. Ducks and geese can also be very noisy, aggres­sive neighbours.