Keeping bees, chickens and other poultry

Keeping bees

Stonnington residents can keep two recreational beehives. To keep more than two hives, you must register as a beekeeper with Agriculture Victoria.

For hobby beekeeping information, including tips on getting started, tools and protective equipment visit Agriculture Victoria or My Smart Garden.

For advice and support, join a local beekeeping group such as the Victorian Apiarists' Association or The Beekeepers Club.

Keeping chickens and other poultry

Before considering chickens or other poultry for your backyard, check out the following resources:

• The Victorian Government's Keeping backyard chickens page
• Our fact sheet on Keeping poultry(DOC, 38KB)
• My Smart Garden's Beginners Guide to Keeping Chooks
• My Smart Garden's Urban Quail Keeping page

You will need to apply for a Poultry Permit to keep chickens, quails or other poultry in Stonnington. The permit is free and ensures:

• poultry are kept in a safe and humane manner
• your neighbours are aware and approve of the situation.

Learn more about applying for a Poultry Permit.