Man Charged for Keeping 25 Chickens in His HDB Flat & Had Bred Them for Sale

*25 chickens enter an HDB flat*

Chicken A: Wow, this is a really nice place. 

Chicken B: Yep, it’s certainly better than grass. But why is this man bringing 25 chickens into his HDB flat?

Chicken C: It’s 2021 man, chickens and humans can cohabitate without one eating the other with a side of rice. 

Chicken B: I hope he doesn’t have a weird fetish or something. 

Chicken D: Actually he’s breeding all of us for sale to eventually be slaughtered. 

Chicken B: WHAT?

Chicken C: I think I prefer the fetish thing.

No such conversation took place, but believe it or not, the gist of it is true.

Man Charged for Keeping 25 Chickens in His HDB Flat & Had Bred Them for Sale

Do you have more than 10 chickens roaming around your flat? Well, if so, you might be in trouble with the authorities.

A man who was recently charged with keeping 25 chickens in his HDB flat in Pasir Ris had his case mentioned again yesterday.

Eric Woo Yoke Meng, now faces three charges under the Animals and Birds (Licensing of Farms), (Prevention of Avian Disease In Non-commercial Poultry) and (Pet Shop and Exhibition) Rules.

On 9 July 2020, he was found with 25 chickens in his ninth-floor flat at Block 275 Pasir Ris Street 2.

Earlier, in 2019, Housing Development Board officers reportedly received a tip-off and warned him during a house visit that keeping chickens in HDB flats were not allowed.

However, the 50-year-old didn’t take this warning seriously.

In Singapore, residents are allowed to keep chickens in their flat, as long as they don’t have more than 10 of them.

According to the Animals and Birds (Prevention of Avian Disease In Non-commercial Poultry) Rules 2006, keeping more than 10 non-commercial poultry animals in any premises is not permitted.

The authorities believe Woo has been breeding chickens in his home for commercial purposes and maintaining an unlicensed farm.

He’s also accused of using his flat for the distribution of the chickens without a licence.

Fortunately, no fowl play has been reported.

Reader: That was horrible. 

Keeping chickens in your flat may seem like one of the pettiest crimes you can commit, but Woo could end up going to jail for it.

If convicted of maintaining a farm without a licence or keeping more than 10 non-commercial chickens, Woo faces one year in prison, a fine of up to S$10,000 or both.

And if found guilty of using his flat to distribute the chickens without a licence, he can be fined up to S$5,000.

According to TODAY, Woo is regarded as one of Singapore’s leading chicken-rearing hobbyists.

Featured Image: goodbishop / Shutterstock.com