Oral answer by Ministry of National Development on chicken rearing in residential estates

Nov 9, 2022

Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Minister for National Development

(a) for the past five years, what is the number of complaints received pertaining to the noise and smell generated from live chickens located at the HDB estates and private residential estates respectively; and
(b) whether there will be a review of chicken rearing policy in HDB flat, private residential apartment and private landed residential property.

Answer:

          From 2017 to 2021, agencies and Town Councils received a total of around 2,400 and 1,700 pieces of feedback about chickens in HDB and private residential estates respectively.  

2        To mitigate the risk of spread of avian disease and to safeguard human and animal health, we generally limit the number of poultry that can be reared on any premises on a non-commercial basis to 10.  

3        But for HDB flats, the rule is stricter, and the keeping of poultry is not allowed for public health reasons and to manage disamenities. When HDB gets complaints about chicken rearing in HDB flats, we work closely with agencies to engage the flat owners to make alternative arrangements to rehome their chickens where necessary.  

4        Private residential owners who keep chickens on their property are also urged to do their part to minimise any inconvenience to their neighbours, such as noise. Under the Community Dispute Management Framework, disputing parties can seek mediation at the Community Mediation Centre, or in more intractable cases, refer the matter to the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal.  

5        NParks will continue to work with our partners to raise public awareness on responsible pet ownership. NParks and HDB review pet ownership policies regularly to safeguard public health, while balancing the needs of different segments of the community.