A petition that will be considered at the next ordinary council meeting on Wednesday asks for the local law to be reviewed.

At the moment, people living on rural residential blocks are able to keep one rooster.

However the 19 residents who have signed the petition say the shrinking size of land parcels outside of built-up areas is making it more of an issue.

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"With rural residential blocks getting smaller - down to one and two acres - and neighbours creeping closer to each other, this is becoming a huge problem in certain areas across our municipality," the petition reads,

It also suggests tensions between neighbours are growing.

"The constant crowing of a rooster at 4.30 in the morning can interfere and affect people's sleep immensely and can lead to irritation and angst between neighbours."

The petition requests the law be changed to match restrictions in urban zones, which do not allow for roosters to be kept.

It also seeks a fast-tracking of a ban if the law is changed.

Under the 'keeping animals' section of the Ballarat's local laws, any owner that previously kept more roosters than the new law allowed had two years to carry on keeping them.

Those behind the petition would like that grace period changed to between three to six months.

There are no details of the people behind the petition - or their whereabouts - included in the agenda for the council meeting.

The keeping of animals is quite strictly stipulated under local law. Owners or occupiers are not allowed to keep more than six different types of animal on land of two hectares or less.

Without a further permit, there is a limit of two dogs and two cats in both urban and rural residential zones. While up to five chickens can be kept in the city, no roosters are allowed.

On a rural residential property, you can have as many as 40 squabs, 20 pheasants, two cockatoos, five goats and a horse if you live.

Local law defines rural residential areas as those that lie within the low density rural residential zone or Rural Living Zone.

The rural living zone around Ballarat covers a large area around Buninyong, Canadian Valley and east of Mount Rowan, as well as small pockets in Bald Hills and north of Mount Rowan. The minimum subdivision size and minimum area for which no permit is required to use land for a dwelling is set at four hectares except for specified areas where the minimum is two hectares.

Meanwhile, according to Planning Victoria, a low-density residential zone entails a lot size of at least 0.4 hectares if not connected to reticulated sewerage or 0.2 hectares for a lot that is connected. However, a different lot size can be specified in a schedule to the zone.

The restrictions on animal keeping are less onerous for those living in rural zones, which under local law include farming zones and rural conservation zones.