Janet Slater has been told she will have to go unless she gets rid of Squeak, after neighbours complained. Janet, 54, has been told she is breaking her tenancy agreement by having livestock in her bungalow in Eccles.
But the mum, who has been wheelchair bound with osteoarthritis for three years, said Squeak is part of the family - not livestock.
Janet said: "I can't get out a lot, so Squeak keeps me company. I talk to her and I love her dearly.
"My daughter and I have had her for three years and there was no problem in our last house.
"Squeak is not livestock because she isn't kept for food or profit. She's a pet and I can't believe we might lose our home over such a storm in a teacup."
Janet and 20-year-old daughter Amelia moved into the bungalow from a council house in Salford.
They had to wait 18 months for a property to become available that was suitable for wheelchair use.
Squeak
Three-year-old Squeak moved with them to continue her free-range life.
But now almost a year later the family has been told by the Irwell Valley Housing Association that Squeak has to be re-housed.
Janet said: "They told me someone had complained about Squeak because they were worried about bird flu.
"It's ridiculous. Squeak is free-range and doesn't pose a threat to anyone.
"We've nowhere else to go. It is just so absurd that the association are running round like headless chickens over this."
A spokesman for the housing association, which handles 6,000 properties across Greater Manchester, said they had given Janet 28 days to re-home the chicken several months ago, but the request had been ignored.
The spokesman said: "Following complaints from her neighbours that the chicken, which is housed in the bedroom of her property, was causing a noise disturbance, we asked Miss Slater to re-locate the chicken to which she agreed.
"We have been extremely patient, offering Miss Slater a wide range of support from our neighbourhood management team."
What do you think? Have your say.
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Comments
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Janet - keep the chicken! Its your pet! tell the people complaining to Cluck off and get a life!
A single chicken noisey!! I think not. But if Janet really does have to re home squeak, then I would happily re home her, and she can live her days out, with my own free range pet chickens.
I can imagine the noise the bird must make: noise is a pollutant, with proven links to stress and heart disease. The bird should be sent to a farm - which is where it belongs.
apparently the neighbours were worried about bird flew and this ruffled their feathers.
grrroooooaaan...
Can't she get a cat ? Chickens are livestock and not pets. Get it in the oven !
No doubt the council will be running round like headless chickens.
WELL JUST PROVES WHAT PETTY RETARDED IDIOTS WE HAVE ALLOWED TO BREATH THE AIR THAT FAR MORE DESERVING PEOPLE DO. IT'S A PET CHICKEN! BIRD FLU MY ARSE! THE GENERAL PUBLIC ARE SO THICK AND MEDIA JADED THAT THEY DON'T KNOW ANY FACTS ON BIRD FLU!
THE UK IS BECOMING A NAZI STATE.
WE ARE NOT FAR OFF TERRY'S 'BRAZIL'
It's a pet chicken, very little noise, and brings alot of love to this housebound lady, how dare people bleat on about Bird Flu, it's a pet chicken, mainly indoors and no threat to anyone. Dogs make more noise, would they rather barking than clucking, they must have a glass up against the wall to hear it too, that should be classed as invasion of privacy.
So next time you end up living next-door to some yappy little dog, you can throw it on the BBQ, because they are just livestock (well in some parts of the world, anyway...)
We had chickens when I was a boy and we had to get rid of them becvause of the noise. We ate ours. Only a suggestion.
That's just fowl, Marc...
Is Terry's Brazil any better than Terry's Chocolate Orange?
stuffing anyone?
id like to see how noisey it was in my new fan assisted oven. bet it'd go lovely with some roasties and a bit of gravy.
aah bisto!
Absolute madness, a bloody chicken as a pet. I hope Janet gets evicted and Squeak makes friends with some roast potatoes, stuffing, assorted veg and gravy. If you had some left overs, you could knock up some lovely bubble and squeak.
How can I chicken be a pet? It's like look at a sheep or cow, all you want to do is eat it. The same can be of some breeds of dog but a chicken offers too much temptation in my book.
Why not get a television for company instead?
Even if this is a made-up story it's been worth it reading some of these comments!
This is so sad for this poor lady. My heart goes really with her. for those ignorant idiot posting nasty and stupid comments about chicken been livestock what about dogs, horses, bears etc; my parents had a pet chicken and she was just the best pet we ever had at home. Don’t give up your pet. Keep the fight
My dad brought home a goose when we were kids and my mam nearly killed him.
After about a week of honking and goose poo everywhere the old man went out to wring its neck for the oven. That was a mistake,the animal won the fight and it took me and three of my brothers and sisters to bag the animal so my old fella could transport it to Glossop where we put it in someones back yard,(they had dozens of birds of all sorts)
Livestock as pets no,livestock in pots yes.
joel lawson said: 'bears'
what on earth are you on about?
everyone knows you serve tossed salad with bears, not yorkies and roast spuds.
Well said, Marc. Just to say, when I'm serving up a swan curry it goes well with French mustard for some weird reason.
I can only stomach bear with barbecue sauce.
How Petty can people get, they should be more worried about dealing with Anti social behavour, crime etc not punishing a woman for keeping a chicken.
How sad can people get. Shame on you housing people. where is your compassion????
As for Bird Flu, check with Defra, you do not have to register only one chicken, and if it dies defra are not worried unless you have loads of them,
So Council and housing bods, get your facts sorted first!!!,
Let this poor woman live her life
Good on you Janet for looking after Squeak, x
boy that joel lawson sure is in a fowl mood today.
try reading a good buk buk it may help relax you.