Keeping poultry and pigeons
There are no large commercial poultry farms in the Northern Territory (NT).
A few small producers do sell free-range eggs. Many small flocks are kept for household supplies.
Property identification codes
You must have a property identification code for your property if you keep poultry, pigeons or other livestock, regardless of the size of your property, the number of animals you have, or if they are pets.
Read how to get a property identification code.
Moving poultry and pigeons
There are no biosecurity requirements on moving poultry and pigeons into or around the NT, however you must follow the welfare standards for transporting poultry.
For more information read about moving and exporting livestock.
Poultry disease and management resources
Raising and keeping poultry
To find out more go to:
- keeping chickens in the NT PDF (837.3 KB)
- nutritional management of geese PDF (20.2 KB)
- the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines website
- the NT Environment Protection Authority website for issues with pollution and waste management.
Egg production and safety
For more information go to:
- egg safety for businesses
- egg safety for consumers
- food safety standards
- the Australian Egg Corporation Limited website
- the Federal Register of Legislation for egg production and processing standards
- the Environmental Health section of the NT Department of Health website.
Poultry diseases
You can find out more about poultry diseases, including their prevention and treatment, in the following resources:
- botulism in chickens, ducks and others PDF (68.7 KB)
- disease prevention in a small flock PDF (62.3 KB)
- external parasites PDF (20.7 KB)
- infectious diseases PDF (71.6 KB)
- internal parasites - worms PDF (31.5 KB)
- non-infectious diseases PDF (35.9 KB)
- bird flu: what bird keepers should know and do PDF (114.3 KB)
- more disease information - go to the Poultry Hub website.
Keeping pigeons
For more information about keeping pigeons go to the following websites:
Exhibiting poultry
Find out more by watching the exhibition bird biosecurity video on YouTube or reading the national biosecurity manual for exhibition poultry on the Australian Government's Department of Agriculture and Water Resources website.
Last updated: 16 May 2019