Licensing, certification and regulations

Registration

If you have 100 or more poultry, you are required to register your property (place) with DPI&F.

Register your property.

Emu farm licences

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates emu farm licences.

Contact the EPA for futher information.

Local government regulations

Whether you keep chickens in your backyard or rear them commercially, your local council regulates how many birds you can keep, whether you can keep roosters, site location and your flock's housing requirements. See your local council for more details.

Disease prevention regulations

Feed restrictions, movement restrictions, vaccination and disease reporting are designed to prevent occurrence and spread of exotic diseases.

Newcastle disease

A compulsory vaccination program applies to commercial flocks of 500 or more birds.

Find out about the Newcastle disease - compulsory vaccination program.

Poultry diseases and disorders

Find out how to prevent exotic poultry diseases and disorders.

Producing, selling and marketing eggs

The egg industry has been deregulated since the mid-1990s, which means commercial producers can keep as many poultry as they like as long as they meet state and local council rules and regulations. Commercial producers can supply eggs to whomever they choose subject to being accredited by Safe Food Queensland and operate under an approved food safety program.

Safe Food Queensland regulate and monitor the state's egg industry to ensure that egg and egg products are safe for human consumption and therefore, limit the risk from cracked and dirty eggs either sold or traded for a commercial gain.

Visit the Safe Food Queensland website.

Exporting eggs overseas

DPI&F has developed a salmonella monitoring and certification program for egg producers exporting table-eggs overseas. A number of countries have implemented egg quality assurance programs to curb salmonella food-borne related illness. These programs vary from country to country but contain similar elements of biosecurity, HACCP programs and salmonella sampling and testing.

Download the 'Salmonella enteritidis monitoring and certification program, Queensland' (PDF, 147 kB).