Ashcroft backyard chickens, bees and livestock rules

Can I keep chickens, bees, or other livestock in Ashcroft?

Ashcroft, British ColumbiaChecked against official textSources read 2026-11-08

How it works

The Good Neighbour Bylaw No. 879 allows a resident to keep hens, as long as it is incidental to residential use, for personal egg consumption only, and in the rear yard. The limit is 4 hens per parcel.

The Zoning Bylaw No. 890 lists keeping livestock or fowl as an accessory use in the RR1 zone and agricultural use in the A1 zone. It does not list hens in the R1 zone. In RR1 it allows 12 hens per 3,000 m² of lot area.

Steps

1. Confirm your zoning and the hen limit that applies to your parcel with the Village office.
2. Build one coop and one pen in the rear yard, with the house between the coop and the front parcel line.
3. Keep the coop to 6.0 m² of floor area and 2.0 m high at most, and at least 2.5 m from all parcel lines (the pen too).
4. Fully fence the rear yard and keep feed in an airtight container.

Good to know

• Roosters are not allowed in any residential zone.
• Bees: you must be a registered beekeeper under the BC Bee Regulation. The limit is 2 colonies on parcels of 1,100 m² or more and 1 on smaller parcels. Hives go in a fenced rear yard, at least 3.0 m from any parcel line, with water on site.
• Other livestock in the RR1 zone: 1 horse, 1 cow, 1 sheep or 1 goat per 3,000 m² of lot area. In A1, agricultural use includes horses, cattle, sheep, hens, ducks, geese and other livestock.
• Pigeons are banned in all zones. Elsewhere, no one may keep livestock, poultry or animals not specifically permitted.
• The two bylaws give different hen limits for RR1 parcels. Confirm with the Village before you buy birds.
• The bylaws set no hen permit, licence or registration, and the Fees and Charges Bylaw lists no fee.
• Keeping too many hens brings a bylaw notice of $130.